Why are online newspapers so freaking expensive?

[Bestwifeever]

Don't worry, all the printed newspapers will be gone in about ten years, and most of the online papers too.

 

[Mulligan]

I have not been a student for several years but I still have a valid .edu address. Hence the moral question about using the student discount.

I understand why newspapers think they should charge less for printed+online than just online due to ad rates. But from the consumers' point of view it is asinine. I am getting a discount for the hassle of taking an unread newspaper off my lawn and dropping it, unread, in the recycle bin everyday That must be great for the environment.

Im just the opposite. They give me newspaper on driveway and free online access. I have never opened up the online newspaper, once. Then again I still use some stamps and pay most of my bills by checks. The dinosaurs didn't all die at once, it took a little time to get rid of them all

 

[samclem]

That is a very good point. If the journalism side dies off from lack of money, that only leaves the tv reporters as the community watchdogs.

And I don't think the TV reporters do a very good job in these matters. Maybe some TV newsrooms have effective investigative reporting, but not very many. These stories are often not very "visual" and sometimes they can't be told in 20 seconds, so the TV folks won't touch them.
Another thing is the emergency response function of the local media. W2R may want to chime in, but when I went to help out some family members after Katrina they were highly dependent on local (pooled) radio newsrooms and newspapers to get out lots of essential info for many weeks. Where food was available, where (and what) trash could be disposed of, etc. We didn't find the TV news to be as useful, and the print media explored and reported on a lot of outrages that electronic media couldn't be bothered with.

 

[Katsmeow]

I've been wondering how many other people realize that you can reset this counter on your internet browser by deleting the cookies.

You can get all the NYT articles you want for free, because when you hit the 10/month limit you can just delete your cookies (or open a different browser app) and start over.

You don't even have to do that. Just go up into the bar with the URL and erase everything from the ? on and refresh and you can read the article...

I would actually pay for the New York Times if the price was even somewhat reasonable.

 

[Chuckanut]

I don't think online newspapers are over priced. The comparison with the cost of a service such as Netflix is invalid. They are a different business offering a different product. Good journalism is important. It keeps us focused on important things like the deficeit, ongoing military activity, reforming medical care and a host of other important local matters. It helps us avoid being distracted by manufactured 'controversies' such as the one over Olympic uniforms.

Good journalists veryify their information, verify their sources and often verify the person who verifies the sources. If one likes being distracted by the Christians being tossed to the lions at the colloseum, then one does not need good journalism. But, if one wants to be informed and capabable of making a good decision, I think paying for a newspaper (online or paper) is worth it.

 

[marko]

If you're a high-net-worth investor with TR Price, you get WSJ online for free. I'd guess other houses would have a similar offer.

As far as NYT, Boston Globe and others: online or in print it seems to be more and more of 'yesterdays news today'.

NYT claims the 'best journalists in the world!'. Really? I guess if you say it enough times you might believe it.

 

[Hamlet]

Online newspapers are overpriced compared to their brick and mortar business, from the consumer's standpoint.

They are desperately trying to move online without destroying their legacy business. It's not working out well.

Frankly, the whole model is going to need to change dramatically. Most of the content that a typical newspaper prints is just AP articles. In an internet world, that no longer has value to a consumer that gets it for free online. Classified ads have been replaced by Craigslist, which is a better system by far. The only value a newspaper now provides is the unique local content that it creates itself.

It's not clear that the new generation is going to be willing to pay enough to make it profitable to generate that content.

I don't think online newspapers are over priced. The comparison with the cost of a service such as Netflix is invalid. They are a different business offering a different product. Good journalism is important. It keeps us focused on important things like the deficeit, ongoing military activity, reforming medical care and a host of other important local matters. It helps us avoid being distracted by manufactured 'controversies' such as the one over Olympic uniforms.

Good journalists veryify their information, verify their sources and often verify the person who verifies the sources. If one likes being distracted by the Christians being tossed to the lions at the colloseum, then one does not need good journalism. But, if one wants to be informed and capabable of making a good decision, I think paying for a newspaper (online or paper) is worth it.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Not only are newspapers free online, the number of free online college courses is growing:

The University of Washington is joining a massive, free experiment in online education that adherents believe has the potential to revolutionize the way college classes are taught, open up access to some of the university's most sought-after courses, and drive down the cost of a degree....The startup has been offering free courses for about a year, beginning with courses from Stanford University. This spring, it entered into agreements with Princeton, the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania, to expand offerings to 43 courses.

Madness! Courses available here: Coursera

 

[steelyman]

Not only are newspapers free online, the number of free online college courses is growing:

Madness! Courses available here: Coursera

Illinois is doing this as well, but the courses are not-for-credit. There will be a charge for employers who want to connect with students who have completed specific courses, and a fee for students who want a certificate of completion. State budgets are squeezing universities

 

[Nords]

Sounds like the Khan Academy and the MIT lectures, which our daughter has been using for 3-4 years...

 

[obgyn65]

I get the USA Today delivered every weekday and buy Sunday New York Times. I get all the other specialized medical news online from email lists. Medical journals and magazines are sent to me by mail, free of charge, with which I get CMEs/CEs/ etc.

 

[vttlarry]

I loved to "hold" the newspaper or book I was reading. I also never thought I would pay to read something online.

However, in this "gotta have it now" world we live in, the papers are almost out-of-date by the time you get them. I thought I would never like to read online, but then the paper I like to read, MPLS Star Tribune, started limited how many articles I could read for free each month.

Since I retired 11 months ago, I have read the paper exclusively online. I pay $7.96 a month and get the same content online, including pictures and ads, as the print version.

I will say that is my top limit however. If the price were to rise too much, I may have to reconsider.

I also read amazon books on my Ipad. Many of them have been free. I usually have a limit of $7-8 for a book, but have made exceptions.

 

[grumpy]

I treat my subscription to the online WSJ as a deductible investment expense so I at least get that break on the price. Given how much I use the site and the amount of investments I am tracking, I consider it a bargain.