Sunday, August 1, 2010
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Editor's Desk: It's too late to start charging for content

Capital Gazette Communications
Published 04/12/09

The Associated Press, a national cooperative of news organizations, announced last week it would challenge Web sites that use its work without permission or compensation.


It is principally concerned about search engines such as Google and Yahoo and Web sites such as the Drudge Report that aggregate the news without asking permission from or paying royalties to those who reported it.

This saber-rattling has been a long time coming from organizations frustrated by seeing their work filched by others. News organizations contribute to the AP, which then charges newspapers a princely fee to share contributions with other media...

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Report Abuse or Vote In order to allow the user community the ability to collectively rank the value of comments posted on the Capital Gazette websites we have implemented a thumbs-up/down system. All logged-in users may participate by voting up/down each comment. If others vote on your comment, your individual score will go up/down depending on the votes. Initially, everyone starts with a score of zero, and must earn credits to have significant voting weight. Individuals with higher scores will have more voting weight.    0 0

This is what would happen... - 2009-04-12 20:53:53

If newspapers hate blogs now, they will hate them more if they start charging for content.

Bloggers will simply read the papers and summarize what they read without a link back to the original source.

Now, bloggers are happy clipping a little bit here and there and then linking back.

Put that content behind a pay wall and the link will be worthless. Readers will already get enough from the blogs AND the paper will be losing online ad revenue.

It's a no-win situation, really.

unhide Comment hidden due to low ranking. Why is this comment hidden?

Jesse B. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral


Report Abuse or Vote In order to allow the user community the ability to collectively rank the value of comments posted on the Capital Gazette websites we have implemented a thumbs-up/down system. All logged-in users may participate by voting up/down each comment. If others vote on your comment, your individual score will go up/down depending on the votes. Initially, everyone starts with a score of zero, and must earn credits to have significant voting weight. Individuals with higher scores will have more voting weight.    0 0

Charging for Content - 2009-04-12 10:06:01

The only way for newspapers and news wires to survive is to start transmitting the content electronically, but other than through the Internet. The Kindle is probably the prototype for future newspapers. I receive Kindle material on my Ipod Touch.

I can take my Ipod Touch on the subway and read my NY Times each morning. The advantage of delivery through an electronic receiver over the Internet: greater portability, and ease of update. The advantage over the printed press: no paper, no need for pressmen, or newsboys.

unhide Comment hidden due to low ranking. Why is this comment hidden?

Stuart Yael Gordon - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Neutral

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