Thursday, March 17, 2011

The New York Times Paywall


$420 a year.

That's what the New York Times thinks digital access to their newspaper is worth.

I would have had no problem paying for the NYT if it was reasonable. $5, maybe, $10 a month. But $15-$35 a month?

$15 mo for standard website and 'smartphone' access.

$20 mo for standard website and tablet access.

$35 a month for 'all access' (website, smartphone, tablet).

This is just baffling to me.

Why so much money? Are they removing ALL advertising from it? (because, at those prices, they damn well better).

Why the 'level's' that vary based on what device you're using to access what is, effectively, text and some reasonably good photography and some quite weak video?

I mean, come on NYT... I really expected something from you that made more sense.

This won't happen overnight, but, I believe they just went from being a national (even global) influencer, to be just another regional newspaper.

An excellent read from an ex-evangelical.

  As you know, I once was an evangelical megachurch pastor and my pastoral career stretched over many years. Eventually, I could no longer t...