

UK Murdoch newspapers unveil pay-for websites - tshtf
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/uk-murdoch-newspapers-unveil-payfor-websites-20100526-wbbb.html

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hugh3
It will be interesting to see what happens. It's very easy for us savvy types
to predict that it won't work based on extrapolating from our own browsing
habits, but surely there must be _some_ people willing to pay for the Times.

Now it's worth noting that this story is from the Sydney Morning Herald, part
of the Fairfax company which owns all the newspapers in Australia that aren't
owned by Murdoch. The really interesting part of this article is at the
bottom:

 _This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an additional
service to readers. Spelling follows North American usage, along with foreign
currency and measurement units._

or in other words, "we're not even going to spend two minutes editing trying
to add value to the AFP news stories we reprint any more". This seems to
undermine the idea that an online newspaper is something worth paying for.

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ErrantX
The times is probably the paper most likely to succeed here - even so it is a
very very slim chance.

In the uk the major problem such schemes face is that the BBC is extremely
good for daily news and current events. Which means they have to sell the
editorial content... Strikes me as much more difficult.

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hugh3
It could be a success even if they don't sell _any_ actual online newspapers.
You'll notice that the price for one-day access to the Times online is one
pound, exactly the same as the cover price of the printed version.

The idea, then, is not so much to sell subscriptions but to anchor in people's
minds the idea that a newspaper like the Times is something worth paying a
pound for. People will be more inclined to pick up a printed newspaper to read
on the train if they're not thinking "gee, I could read exactly the same thing
online for free, what's the point?"

Actually if you think of it as a way of driving people back to printed
newspapers, rather than as a new revenue stream in itself, it starts to make a
hell of a lot of sense.

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jorgecastillo
I already have to many feeds, If I had to pay for the access to any site I
would rather stop reading such site than pay. It would be even better for me
since I would waste less time on the internet.

