Newsday Will Charge for Online Content

We're not a newspaper killer, says CEO

(NEWSER) - Google not only wants big news organizations such as the New York Times to survive, it has a "moral responsibility" to help them do so, says CEO Eric Schmidt. He tells Search Engine Land "there will always be a market for people who read the newspaper on a train going to New York City." But that market won't be anywhere near enough to sustain the industry, which must adapt. In a decade or so, for example, he predicts that most people will be getting personalized news from mobile devices. More»

(NEWSER) - Google CEO Eric Schmidt's proposed model for online newspapers calls for a cable TV-like approach to subscription content, with tiers like free, basic, and premium. His ideas not only come too late, but they're “deeply flawed,” Douglas A. McIntyre writes for 24/7 Wall Street. And "even if they were valuable, they come too late in the cycle of destruction that marks the end of the financial viability of newspapers." More»

(NEWSER) - Before newspapers held sway over politicians and maintained monopolies under federal anti-trust exemptions, they were a service people were willing to pay for, Michael Kinsley writes in the Washington Post. Even if “technology is on the verge of removing some traditionally vital organs of the body politic,” they will be replaced by what people want, and want to pay for. “If the New York Times disappears,” he says, “there will still be news.” More»

Freep , News stop delivery on day GM CEO forced out

(NEWSER) - Yesterday was a once-in-a-lifetime news day in Detroit: GM's boss was forced out, Chrysler was pushed to merge with Fiat, Michigan State made it to the Final Four—and the first day that Motor City's two daily newspapers didn't land on doorsteps to tell readers all about it. Both the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press had long chosen Monday to suspend home delivery, replacing a full printed paper with web content and abbreviated editions on newsstands. More»

Model proves people will pay for what could be free

(NEWSER) - People expect their news for free these days, but online advertising revenue isn’t enough to support major operations, David Carr writes in the New York Times. But there may be hope for the newspaper industry. A decade ago, people began getting their music illegally. Now, the convenience of iTunes has convinced many consumers to pay for what was once free. Could the iTunes model save journalism? More»