Epic fail! After 3 Months, Only 35 Subscriptions for Newsday's Web Site

[SlyPokerDog]

In late October, Newsday, the Long Island daily that the Dolans bought for $650 million, put its web site, newsday.com, behind a pay wall. The paper was one of the first non-business newspapers to take the plunge by putting up a pay wall, so in media circles it has been followed with interest. Could its fate be a sign of what others, including The New York Times, might expect?

So, three months later, how many people have signed up to pay $5 a week, or $260 a year, to get unfettered access to newsday.com?

The answer: 35 people. As in fewer than three dozen. As in a decent-sized elementary-school class.

That astoundingly low figure was revealed in a newsroom-wide meeting last week by publisher Terry Jimenez when a reporter asked how many people had signed up for the site. Mr. Jimenez didn't know the number off the top of his head, so he asked a deputy sitting near him. He replied 35.

Michael Amon, a social services reporter, asked for clarification.

"I heard you say 35 people," he said, from Newsday's auditorium in Melville. "Is that number correct?"

Mr. Jimenez nodded.

http://www.observer.com/2010/media/after-three-months-only-35-subscriptions-newsdays-web-site

 

[Shapecity]

It's hard to offer something for free on the internet and then expect people to pay a subscription fee.

 

[Buzz Killington]

the better way to do this is to offer the E-edition of the newspaper IMO. I have one for the LA Times. although it does load a bit slow.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

the better way to do this is to offer the E-edition of the newspaper IMO. I have one for the LA Times. although it does load a bit slow.

Good point.

 

[jlprk]

The LA Times is more liberal than Newsday. That's why it's more popular.

 

[Buzz Killington]

plus its the only major newspaper in LA.

????



The post has an e-edition, it gives the same sense of reading the paper, they should do it for mags too

 

[Ed O]

Content editors need to break out of the browser. Provide a more secure way of delivering content that they can stop reproduction of and can charge for.

Something like what Time is thinking with this hypothetical:

[video=youtube;ntyXvLnxyXk]

Ed O.