Smart Reads

A couple of smart reads today on what people should be thinking about when they think about online news—and one not-so-smart one:

My pal Jim Brady, former executive editor at Washingtonpost.com, in a wide-ranging Q&A at Poynter on the state of online news:

I think the level of experimentation has increased a lot in recent years, though I'm always one who feels like there's not enough risk-taking in media. We've done things a certain way for so long that change comes at too slow a pace. But you see great work coming out of big shops, small shops and startups, and that's encouraging. But I do firmly believe that the pace of experimentation has to increase. Launching blogs in 2009 isn't innovative anymore. Launching comments on articles in 2009 isn't innovative. But a lot of sites are just getting to that point now.

And another old friend, Steve Yelvington, with eight reasons why subscription advocates should think very hard (and do some homework) before suggesting that readers be asked to pay for online news, not the least of which:

Ultimately the idea of paid content goes to war against the idea of ad-supported content. In local markets, the ad model is stronger than in global markets. ... Local advertising sold by local sales forces is a substantial revenue stream, and if you're not tapping into that, it's your own fault.

Update: On the other hand, yet another friend, David Carr of the New York Times, is completely out of left field with this column:

My fantasy meeting goes something like this: a rump caucus could form where the newspaper industry would decide to hold hands and jump off the following cliffs together... No more free content. ... No more free rides to aggregators.

The "off the cliff" metaphor is accurate: That would indeed be a death plunge. Though he does touch on the need for better advertising models–but seems to want newspapers to collude, as well, to solve that problem. Sheesh. Yelvington's intelligent post is the perfect anecdote to Carr's fantasies.

Comments

[Charles Barthold]

Here's the main problem with David Carr's proposal -- he has existing newspaper executives convening the meeting. Bring in a room of 20 to 30 year olds who actually absorb information online and you'll have a better chance of finding a solution.

[Charles Barthold]

One more thought regarding paid content. Here's the best summary yet on why it won't work.

http://wiredpen.com/2009/03/08/no-more-free-content/#