simonyoungwriters.com

It’s come as a complete surprise to me – and I read Mediacom’s blog, Fastline and everything! What possessed the NZ Herald to make some of their information premium content? Didn’t they know information wants to be free?

It’s an interesting development. Must be a sign that more people are accessing content exclusively online. Either that or an accountant is breathing down someone’s neck, making sure everything is paid for.

What’s also interesting is that the premium content seems to be opinion pieces – or “exclusive comment material” as Herald spin puts it. I would’ve thought real news would be the big drawcard for readers, but I must admit of the reading I do, most of it is the opinion columns.

Interesting (I’m overusing that word, I know) and counterintuitive, because opinions are to be had by the bucketful with the advent of blogs. But from my own behaviour, I still want to know what Jim Hopkins and Garth George and Tapu Misa say about stuff.

Maybe this whole premium content thing is a big experiment; maybe that’s why I’ve not heard of it until trying to read two columns.

Will be interesting (I know, I know, find another word already) to watch…