[LINK] A replacement for the newspaper

[Frank O'Connor]

For me it was the basic monthly stipend ($21.99 pcm) which is more than I pay now for the paper version I get (I don't bother with the Age on weekends and a couple of weekdays), the fact that the savings in distribution and production costs don't seem to be reflected in the stipend, the fact that no added value has been supplid (I still get those ads and overlays) and as Roger said ... the dumbing down and editorialising of Fairfax as it has sought the dollar.

At the originally postulated $8.99 pcm it would have been a no brainer, but at $22 a month it's simply not worth it to me. (And I subscribe to a couple of magazines (COSMOS, TIME ... COSMOS is particularly cool - they really get it) online ... so it's not like the subscriber model isn't working for me.

I've reverted to the ABC, Reuters, Zite and a couple of others for general news, and until Fairfax provides a better-value-for-the-dollar pricing structure will wait on subscribing to them.

Just my 2 cents worth ...
---
On 09/07/2013, at 9:36 AM, grove at zeta.org.au wrote:

> On Tue, 9 Jul 2013, Roger Clarke wrote:
> 
>> At 8:39 +1000 9/7/13, Dr Bob Jansen wrote:
>>> I have been searching for a replacement for my morning newspaper,
>>> since the Sydney Morning Herald introduced its paywall like the
>>> other newspapers.
>> 
>> Snap.
>> 
>> Although my motive wasn't the paywall.  (Their bundled price is
>> currently a fraction lower than I've been paying for years through my
>> newsagent).
>> 
>> My concern is that not only the presentation, but also the content,
>> has been greatly dumbed down, particularly since the switch from
>> broadsheet to tabloid format.
> 
> It seems I am unfettered at work with an AARNET connection!
> I am still testing but I have broken the 30 article limit already
> and haven't been blocked.  Hopefully this will continue.  At home
> I now am starting to read other sites.  I do like the SMH, but they
> are going to alienate a lot more people than they will attract through
> the paywall.  It's a broken business model and advertising alone should 
> be able to pay its way.....
> 
> 
> rachel
> 
> -- 
> Rachel Polanskis                 Kingswood, Greater Western Sydney, Australia
> grove at zeta.org.au                http://www.zeta.org.au/~grove/grove.html
> 	The more an answer costs, the more respect it carries.
> _______________________________________________
> Link mailing list
> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link