Starting today in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, you can read the first of a five part investigative story entitled The Preacher's Mob, but only in the print and e-editions of the newspaper. Free online access to the story will not be allowed until Wednesday.
JSOnline states their case thusly: "EDITORS NOTE: Investigative reporting is the most expensive form of journalism produced by the Journal Sentinel newsroom. Because of the expense and resources it requires, we are giving our print and e-edition subscribers exclusive access to the Preacher's Mob series. We will be doing this on a regular basis with certain enterprise stories and investigations. Online readers will be able to see the full story later this week. For now, all readers can read this summary version below or click on several interactive and multimedia features, including a mini-documentary that contains jailhouse interviews, audio files of secret recordings of Michael Lock by a law enforcement informant, and an interactive map of key dates and places in the world of Michael Lock. With an e-edition subscription, you can read the full series as it unfolds over five days in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel starting May 17. To sign up for an e-edition, click here."
Personally, I think that the Journal Sentinel has done such an outstanding job of investigative reporting (I'm thinking especially of their Watchdog Online stories), that I'm tempted to give them some money anyway. However, this is where the "free" Internet meets up with the costs of paying a staff to produce stories like these. I don't like it. I want to be able to read about the Preacher's Mob now, for free, like I'm used to. But I certainly understand it.
What do you think?
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11 comments:
And while I'm on the subject, when am I going to get my first paycheck from the JTI?
Well, Orbs, I have to agree with the J-S. Afterall, they are not a charitable organization. I see your point, but I also see theirs.
I'm going to e-mail you an idea.
And that is exactly the point I was making in my recent blog on Wikihoaxing. The JS has done some pretty good investigative reporting (I subscribed to it when I live in Racine).
My point is that democracy will take a big blow if they can no longer do that type of reporting...open season for political corruption.
I see nothing wrong with them doing that.
And I agree with the Bopster, they do a good job.
Yeah, hale, I thought of you and your blog. I understand that reporting has to be financed. I wonder how well sales of e-editions of newspapers are doing? I wonder how it will shake out, say, 10 years from now. Any print papers still around? Will online newspapers still exist? Will they charge?
I think it is perfectly reasonable for online editions to charge for access. I'm actually surprised that they haven't figured out that their loss of revenue is linked to their online access.
I do not believe there will be many print media left in 10 years.
Print media is a dinosaur. Much like the music industry, technology moved them into a new medium very quickly.
I don't think there is anything wrong with charging for indepth investigations. The Sentinal does provide value. Keeping their work to themselves will be the difficult part. Once information is released, it can easily be stolen or dissemitated.
The biggest problem is that there are still so many options and free information available that people will be reluctant to pay for it. I still think that advertising is the way it needs to go.
They need to test the waters and forge a new way. Only those who have a product that is of value will succeed. It will take smarts to work through this.
Hey orbs, I HAVE been sending regular paychecks to your address. The checks are being cashed. You better have a talk with Charlie....
So, that's how he's been supporting his catnip habit.
Pretty soon you may have to pay to blog, or for each sit you visit on line.
Pay to blog? That would be criminal!
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