Dow Jones Exec Tries To Get Other Publications To Lock Up Content

from the yeah,-that'll-work dept

As more and more people are noticing that the Wall Street Journal is becoming less relevant in important discussions -- mainly because of their decision to lock up content behind a pay wall -- Journal owner Dow Jones is apparently trying to push other publications to make the same mistake. The company's president of electronic publishing has announced that other publications should put up a pay wall just as many are discovering the power of online advertising and the ability to get more traffic by being as free and accessible as possible. He claims "it would be good for the industry," if more publications charged -- but he really means it would be good for the WSJ, because there would be less free content competing with his content. He also claims that "publishers in all mediums have tended to devalue their brands," which is missing the point (by a wide margin). If anyone has "devalued" their brand, it's the Wall Street Journal, by taking itself out of the discussion. People don't just consume the news any more, they are a part of the process, and that includes the ability to help spread the news. The Wall Street Journal doesn't seem to realize that the times have changed -- which is too bad for a publication that claims to be so good at spotting important trends.
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  • identicon
    Tony Lawrence, 31 Mar 2005 @ 9:56am

    Gave it up a while ago

    I used to read the on-line WSJ, but even just the minor effort of signing in became an annoyance I didn't want - and then, as you point out, being unable to link or refer non-subscribers to a story made it less and less interesting..

    I now use (customized) Google News almost exclusively.

    Locking up content is just going to hasten their demise. I stopped buying print newspapers more than a decade ago, and although I still get some print magazines, more and more I turn to the net - and am not interested in getting by any obstacles to content..

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    rachel patterson, 5 Jan 2008 @ 3:19am

    convi

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    rachel patterson, 5 Jan 2008 @ 3:20am

    convi

    i not really sure how to add people in to a convi mi frend did it but Im not reall y to sure HELP ME PLZ!!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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