Quality content is not free: The New York Times to start charging online

Much ado has been made about the New York Times‘ recent decision to charge for online content via a metered system. (We already consider the Times’ content worth paying for and subscribe to the print version, so we are not affected.)

I don’t think the Times has a choice in the matter. The Times is one of the highest quality sources available to us for accurate news and information and informed opinion, and quality costs money. Investigating, reporting, writing and editing are all professions that deserve compensation, and it is not realistic to expect the Times to fully support itself through advertising. I place more faith in subscription-supported content anyway.

The online version of the newspaper brings a lot of value that you don’t get from the paper itself, such as up-to-the-minute analysis of breaking news, specialized blogs and photo essays. The Times is all over Twitter, keeping me informed as stuff happens. This all requires extra effort, and online advertising just isn’t as lucrative as subscription advertising is, which has a known “eyeball” number and demographics.

Internet content has been free for so long that we users have come to think that we’re somehow entitled to have it all for free. I think this is the source of much of the anger directed at the Times for their entirely reasonable decision. If what the Times produces is worth our support, then we should kick in, though. It is not fair to ask the thousands of professionals who work there to not be paid fairly for their efforts. None of us would accept that, so why should they?

What we have to consider is the value that the New York Times and other members of the press offer us. If we value a trustworthy source of information about the activities of government, corporations and other institutions that affect our everyday lives, then we need to make sure that they stay accessible, unbiased and thoroughly vetted. It doesn’t seem too much to ask to kick in something to support those values.

If you don’t value those things, then broadcast TV news is still free, last time I checked.

A New York Times columnist breaks down the metered subscription proposal. My husband also has some thoughtful things to say on this. Go to MetaFilter for a variety of other opinions, mostly negative.

Here’s how the New York Times brings value online:

• Lens, the photojournalism blog with its daily news in pictures feature.
• The Room for Debate blog provides a running commentary on the news; reactions to this week’s Supreme Court decision were posted within 1 hour of the news breaking.
• The Bits blog makes sense out of what’s happening in technology (also on Twitter).
• If you like cooking, Mark Bittman’s blog Bitten is a must-read (also on Twitter).
• The NYT Twitter feeds and lists follow everything from Washington policy to the World Series.