Ohio.com putting up a paywall

[ZachTheZip]

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-com-membership-model-begins-july-1-1.500160

This is what happens when you're either too lazy or too bogged down in corporate policy to get decent advertising revenue out of your news website. When you can't adapt, you do stupid things like put up a paywall in a desperate attempt to bilk readers out of some money, and then tie it into your print subscription to hopefully increase circulation. In five years, they will be out of business.

[GJGood]

I hate it but understand it for Akron customers. Why buy the paper when it is free online? From a business standpoint is has some validity.

It really stinks for people like me, though, who are no longer local to the Akron area. I do not have the home delivery option.

[ZachTheZip]

It could be made to work (for a little while, at least) if they offered a cheap online-only model, but tying it to delivery service is completely moronic.

[ziptrumpet87]

There was an online-only option mentioned ($11/mo).

[ZachTheZip]

$11/month is not cheap for the amount of content provided on the site. Netflix HD streaming is $9.

A $5/month plan is more than reasonable.

[Dave in Green]

Advertising never fully paid for printed newspapers. It was always a combination of advertising and readers either subscribing or buying newspapers at stores, etc., that paid the bills. It's unrealistic to expect the online version would work any differently. The more readers rely on electronic distribution the larger the burden on the electronic version to pay its share of the bills.

[Dr Z]

$11/month is not cheap for the amount of content provided on the site. Netflix HD streaming is $9.

Some ZN members paid under forty cents for both a pack of cigarettes, and a gallon for gas once. Times change, and markets adjust. Clicking on ohio.com always seemed too expensive (my time) too me anyway. I wonder if anybody will figure out how to charge by the time used, and provide content that you actually would want to use.

[Balsy]

News is a tricky business. The only paper versions to really not be affected by the great recession are student newspapers on university campuses. They usually are the most direct, and cheapest method for advertisers to reach college students. The ABJ IMO is the best news source is NE Ohio. I'd rather see them sell their product to people than to go begging for large advertisers that may compromise the integrity of the reporting.

[zen]

I can put up a site with content publishing system on a dedicated server for a monthly cost less than what they are asking 10 customers to pay.

What costs megalith money is the old 'newspaper' model of publishing with a physical location for printing services, offices, clerical expenses, executive and management salaries and professional salaries for journalists.

You simply cannot publish the new way with any facet of the old way still in your burden if your revenue is advertising. At all. The difference is enormous.
The 'newspaper' will have to die off completely before they can be profitable in the digital market.

[LZIp]

News is a tricky business. The only paper versions to really not be affected by the great recession are student newspapers on university campuses. They usually are the most direct, and cheapest method for advertisers to reach college students. The ABJ IMO is the best news source is NE Ohio. I'd rather see them sell their product to people than to go begging for large advertisers that may compromise the integrity of the reporting.

I believe the PD is taking the opposite approach and going for the ads. I suppose we will see which model wins.