Is it a lack of vision to know that everything has a cost, even on the internet? Do people genuinely think that basic economics don't apply to digital products?
ominouslemon
joined 1 year ago
That's my gripe as well. I currently subscribe to 3 or 4 online news outlets, and that's probably because I work in news. I can't do more.
Still, there are services like Apple News+ and Pressreader. I wish they would do more, but I guess it's better than nothing
You owe me $10
The thing is that economies of scale do not really work with (good) journalism. You'll never get a ton of clicks on an in-depth, nuanced and well-researched story, because it's not really "sexy". That's why even serious publications need to put out clickbait content, as it essentially funds the actual serious journalistic work. The problem here is that clickbait articles cause a reputational damage to publications.
A paywall makes it possible to avoid all of this, but then you run into the problem that fewer people have access to your content, rendering what you do less impactful.
As a journalist, let me tell you something: the reality is that news is an awful business. It's hugely useful for public discourse, but it does not make any money. It's essentially a public service, like roads or public transportation or schools: they are essential parts of society and they don't work as a business.
Some countries realized that, and they have public-funded or state-funded media, like the BBC (on NPR, in a different way). While this poses huge problems with regards to conflicts of interest and freedom of the press, that's the only economic model that actually works.
Just having a bad day, lol. I did come off a bit too strong, I admit it. Truth is, I am a journalist and it pisses me off that people constantly expect me to work for free.
It's a chicken and egg problem. Media on the internet started doing clickbait stuff to get clicks and to be able to survive. I'd argue that you should be paying money to the ones who do an honest effort to do a good job.
Also, you talk about "big news companies" like it's actually a thing. There are no really big news companies anywhere. Not by market cap, nor by employees, nor by any other metric. There are influential ones, such as the NYT, but none of them are really big if you compare them to any other economic sector. News is not a good business, like any other public utility: it's essential to society but does not make any money.
"Modest ads" were never a thing: if you were on the internet 10-ish years ago, you'll remember that pop-up ads were everywhere.
Also, ads were never able to support newspapers, even if they used to be more lucrative. Newspapers were desperate to reach new audiences and they basically started to publish stuff at a loss. That's why media is in the situation they're in right now: underfunded and in perpetual search for new ways to monetize so they do not die altogether.
uBlock Origin only shows Chartbeat and Quantcast as trackers on The Atlantic's website, so I'm gonna say you're talking out of your ass.
Whose boots would I be licking?
Yes please :,(
It's annoying seeing ads in paid products, but having multiple revenue streams is a basic financial strategy that every business employs, so no surprises here