In response to comments about our decision to charge for online content, I want to assure all our readers that we did not take this decision lightly.
We believe we are providing quality content that can't be found anywhere else and is worth the money. For that matter, we're charging just $1 a week -- less than a cup of coffee! For some time, our print subscribers were subsidizing all those people who were getting the same content free online. That just wasn't fair.
Also, we want to count all our readers, whether online or in print, as subscribers. That's what ad revenue is really based on. The comment by some readers that charging for content will reduce the number of users is based on old thinking that hasn't proven true all the time. In fact, there are plenty of Web sites with millions of page views that aren't making any money in advertising.
What we are now able to offer advertisers is a committed audience: people who paid to visit the site. Just as advertisers in the print edition can be assured that their ads will be seen by people who really want to read the paper because they paid for it, we believe advertisers will see a significant advantage in buying ads online because the readers will be people who really want to visit the Web site.
It should be noted that we still feature a good quantity of online content at no charge. Headlines, breaking news, staff-written blogs, the Lucha Libre public forum, ¿Que Pasa? Online, Business Journal Online and all our magazines, including Dvino and the Visitors Guide, are all available at no cost.
As for talk about other newspapers, here's the truth. While you can get free access to some of The New York Times online, the paper does charge for its e-Edition - about $175 per year. No less than the Wall Street Journal charges for full access to its online content. We believe you will soon see more and more newspapers charging for their content online, too.
Many of you have already chosen to subscribe to LMT's e-Edition. Thank you for your vote of confidence. We will continue to strive to provide you with the best coverage of Laredo and the area. For those of you who haven't subscribed yet, give it a whirl. We believe you'll like what you see.
So, the Laredo Morning Times is similar to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, huh?
ReplyDeleteWow. That is pretty deceptive of you.
You cannot even begin to compare the two entities. While you may have been drinking the Kool Aid and are convinced that charging for online content (for about the price of a cup of coffee you say), is a positive thing, let me offer a few points that will certainly not sway your mind.
First of all, the newspapers you mentioned carry columnists and opinion pieces. The Laredo Times does not. As far as I have read the LMT, I have not come across strong columnists who offer very critical opinions in the realm of sports (which the NYT does) and politics. The LMT may have had a good investigative reporter every now and then, but the opinion pieces of a Maureen Dowd (Pulitzer Prize winner) or the like have been absent.
Second, the LMT has dumbed down its content, providing pictures in lieu of newsworthy material. Hey, I wouldn't mind my photo in the paper every now and then, but if this is causing the rising cost of the print media, perhaps we can do without the extensive photo ops in the Que Pasa or the Time Out sections on Fridays/Tuesdays.
Third, what about comparing the Laredo Times to Texas newspapers and not New York papers? None of the major papers in Texas--as far as I know--charge for online content as of today. The Austin paper, San Antonio paper, El Paso, Dallas, Houston, and Corpus papers do not charge for online content. Why the LMT and why now? Are you paying your reporters too much (I don't think so, those guys are underpaid, I believe) or is it all about filling Mr. Green's pockets with, errr, green? Comparing New York and Texas is not fair. New York also has a state income tax and Texas does not. Should Texas adopt a state income tax too just because NY has one?
Finally, what does charging for online content mean for interested passersby, tourists, and other news agencies/blogs that want to link to stories? Your practices only make the LMT and Laredo appear insular and provincial.
You asked for comments, here they are.