The State Journal-Register is now publishing some of its content in print before it publishes it on the web. The lag time is unspecified.
Called First in Print, the move aims to increase the value of the print edition for readers, many of whom pay to read the newspaper. Many of the articles appearing first in the print edition will appear on the newspaper’s website after a delay….
The First in Print effort is a change from how the newspaper traditionally has treated publication of news items. For years, nearly all of the newspaper’s content has been placed on the website where it could be read for free.
“That meant that readers of the print edition, who pay for information, got less advantage for their investment,” Broadbooks said. “This change means that those readers who pay for the paper have the opportunity to see select features first. We believe it enhances the value of the print edition.”
The Springfield paper is owned by GateHouse Media, the same company that owns the Peoria Journal Star. I wrote to the Journal Star’s managing editor John Plevka to ask if his paper will be following suit. I received no response.
Personally, I think “First in Print” is a good idea. Right now, I receive no added value as a subscriber of the Journal Star. Non-subscribers get all the same content for free over the internet, while I’m paying over $200 a year for it. So why shouldn’t I cancel my subscription?
Come to think of it, I might just do that.
Huh?
Are they going to:
1. not use email to gather information for those stories;
2. only gather information in person and by use of landline to landline phones;
3. for reporting that is done face to face, require that reports make those trips in vehicles that require “leaded fuel”;
4. no direct to press publishing, they must use line-o-type.
Technology and leveraged buyouts are doing what GOP politicians were unable to do – terminate the positions of the overcompensated.
OR … they can stop passing along to readers the cost of printing and door to door, once-a-day delivery of news that cannot be corrected or updates and that’s AT LEAST eight hours old. They can instead create a TWO TIERED Web site. People who pay a nominal fee (less than the cost of a home subscription) get the news on the Web as it comes in. But nah. They woudl rather cling to a dying technology. Buggy whips for everyone!
Sooo… they’re “increasing” the value of the newspaper by effectively decreasing the value of the website? Not seeing anything new and added value in the newspaper here. Let’s hear it for the marketing two-step.
Clinging to dying technology indeed.
Gomi — Yes, because nobody pays money for the website. They do pay for the paper. So, you can look at it as those who pay are getting more value, or you can look at it as those who don’t pay are getting less value. Same difference.
C.J.,
But it’s a matter of a change. If they’d started this way, that would be one thing, but they’re changing policy. They could increase value by actually increasing it. Instead, they’re creating a relative value by decreasing something else.
I understand their need to increase revenue on the product that produces more income, but their solution leaves a lot to be desired. Rather than make things better, they’re taking a lazy solution of handicapping something else. It’s a marketing ploy. The newspaper is really no better than it was before. The reasons to buy the paper haven’t increased or improved. I predict the revenue increase will be minor and possibly short-lived.
This doesn’t improve the lot of newspapers in the age of new media. It just tries to make new media worse. It’s buggy manufacturers sabotaging cars to stay in business.
One thing The PJStar is proposing is that “citizen journalists” provide FREE news to their online sites.
Not only would the loss of a hard copy of our newspapers remove hundreds of jobs from each paper published, it would dilute the value of the news into competing opinion pieces from people unable to investigate and research their “stories”. That in itself might not be a bad thing, but where is the incentive for a publisher to train and hire REAL journalists and investigative reporters when the community is doing that job for free?
The foundation of a free republic is unbiased, critical, professional journalism.
In other words, the news business can not be run by corporations. They are rapidly turning our “news” into mere self serving endorsement advertising. Their concern and bottom line is not news, but selling advertisements and making profits. WMBD1470 has already done that with their radio programming.
We are already losing our radio and TV sources of information, we can’t afford to lose our newspapers.
Off topic — but it was nice to see you referenced in the PJS article on the rail service as the operator of PeoriaChronicle an “online newspaper” rather than a blog. Perhaps they are distinguishing you from the competition based upon your level of reporting.
I mostly ready newspapes online myself, even though my office also subscribes to PJS (that has changed now, another dept. took that over). We used to subscribe to Pekin Times; we dropped that not because of the Web, but just cutting back. We have always subscribed to PJS only on weekends, though. I will keep at least the Sunday edition because of the ads and coupons.
The downside? I haven’t read the daily comics, which helped give me a good chuckle & start to the day, for almost 2 years. I know I can also access most comics online, but that takes more time than to glance at them all on one page.
I do think that eventualy, newspapers will have to start charging for access to online editions. It does seem fair, and they can regain lost revenues from the print editions.
Hsve you seen The Power of The Package?
http://pjstaradswork.com/
Subtitled: Dispelling the myths
If you try to cancel your subscription they may call you and attempt to strong arm you into paying them money, threatening your credit rating in the process.
pjstaradswork.com claims 200k readers in the Peoria area….later it claims 44% of its readers make $75k per year. Does anyone think that could be correct?
Chase
44% make over $75K a year. Probably. Suggest all Proerrty Tax payers read my column in Sumndays JS
The Peoria Journal Star is going to “first in print” per a story posted on-line an hour ago.
Thanks, 150 observer. Putting up a post about it now.
You bet C. J. Thank you.
Maybe 200,000 subscribe but only 200 actually read it…
Waiting to publish “News Stories” kind of changes the meaning “News” doesn’t it?