An answer to David Carr's question on "how to build an iTunes for newspapers." - By Jack Shafer - Slate Magazine
An answer to David Carr's question on "how to build an iTunes for newspapers." - By Jack Shafer - Slate Magazine
I don't think that this is the way to do this. The people that use iTunes buy music. That's something that is very compact and they reuse many many times. The problem with the news is it is disposable. Once it is read once, it's done. At most you might have someone forward it. That's it though. Outside momentous events does anyone want to hold on and reread the paper. The iTunes model that Carr proposes would fail.
The Kindle is a solution looking for a problem. How many people do you know read 200 books at one time, plus two or three newspapers a day? I lose stuff all the time in airplanes and however cool it would be get the Kindle, it would seriously bum me out to lose my $359 newspaper when a $1 one is pretty convenient on its own.
The better model is the Rhapsody model where the newspapers, surprise surprise, sell monthly subscriptions. The better way to charge for it is the big problem. How much does it cost to run a major newspaper? What are acceptable profit margins?
the other option is to go nuclear and remove themselves from the Web and sell physical copies of newspapers. If the Washington Post didn't give it self up for free what would you do? If you live in Chicago like I do, I'd be SOL, but if I lived in DC, I'd get the paper every day because its worth it to me. Some newspapers have done this and it might make sense.
I don't think that this is the way to do this. The people that use iTunes buy music. That's something that is very compact and they reuse many many times. The problem with the news is it is disposable. Once it is read once, it's done. At most you might have someone forward it. That's it though. Outside momentous events does anyone want to hold on and reread the paper. The iTunes model that Carr proposes would fail.
The Kindle is a solution looking for a problem. How many people do you know read 200 books at one time, plus two or three newspapers a day? I lose stuff all the time in airplanes and however cool it would be get the Kindle, it would seriously bum me out to lose my $359 newspaper when a $1 one is pretty convenient on its own.
The better model is the Rhapsody model where the newspapers, surprise surprise, sell monthly subscriptions. The better way to charge for it is the big problem. How much does it cost to run a major newspaper? What are acceptable profit margins?
the other option is to go nuclear and remove themselves from the Web and sell physical copies of newspapers. If the Washington Post didn't give it self up for free what would you do? If you live in Chicago like I do, I'd be SOL, but if I lived in DC, I'd get the paper every day because its worth it to me. Some newspapers have done this and it might make sense.
posted by Spud at 9:47 AM
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