Newspaper Execs Hold Secret Meeting To Discuss Paywalls

Techdirt got wind of a secret meeting by newspaper execs, complete with antitrust lawyers, to discuss how to proceed on the issue of implementing paywalls going forward. Of course, if newspapers decide to all lock away their content that just means the rest of us will have a bunch of great journalism talent to pick from soon thereafter. "You may have noticed a bunch of stories recently about how newspapers should get an antitrust exemption to allow them to collude -- working together to all put in place a paywall at the same time. That hasn't gone anywhere, so apparently the newspapers decided to just go ahead and try to get together quietly themselves without letting anyone know. But, of course, you don't get a bunch of newspaper execs together without someone either noticing or leaking the news... so it got out. And then the newspapers admitted it with a carefully worded statement about how they got together 'to discuss how best to support and preserve the traditions of news gathering that will serve the American public.' And, yes, they apparently had an antitrust lawyer or two involved."

Comments

Re:One idea...

[Archangel Michael]

they'll start seriously blending advertising inside news content. I don't want that to happen!

What makes makes you think they don't? News is slanted, and there is bias and advertising. Lets just admit it, and get it over with and move on.

I don't use traditional news media any longer, too slow and filtered as it is. We can now get news raw and streaming, with as much detail as we want, without the reporter's and editors putting in their particular slant now.

I'd give example of what I mean, but I would instantly be modded "-1 Troll", because truth hurts. The problem is, there is too much Political Correctness and group think getting in the way of real news reporting.

If news gathering organizations can't make a product worth buying, then they shouldn't exist.