Is New York TimesSelect Dead?

[DeepModem Mom]

Media Bistro: Is TimesSelect Dead?

From Mickey Kaus:

Is the infamous NYT TimesSelect paywall about to disappear? kf hears rumblings that the paper is about to abandon the whole misconceived project in which it has blocked unpaid Web access to its op-ed columnists. ... P.S.: The Times claims fewer than 225,000 customers pay the $49.95 TimesSelect fee, up less than 100,000 from what the paper was claiming in November, 2005. More get the service through their regular subscriptions. Meanwhile, the Times could use the ad revenue that would come from increasing the readership of the columnists (by making them free). And the columnists would like to have the readers. ... All this was quite evident two years ago when Pinch Sulzberger embarked on this folly, of course.

(NOTE: Columnists behind the inconvenient, costly and annoying "paywall" include, of course, Maureen Dowd, Thomas Friedman, Paul Krugman and Frank Rich. DeepModem Mom, despite being a Times print subscriber, has somehow never been able to sign up successfully with TimesSelect. I'm sure these columnists would "like to have the readers." It's my observation that on the Internet, their columns are rarely discussed and no longer generate the "buzz" they once did, as links to the columns, if passed around the blogosphere, can be read by only a "Select" few.)

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowldc/?page=2 (Scroll down.)

[SteppingRazor]

1. The Select thing is useless anyway...

since plenty of people are willing to post these columns, in complete form, all over the Internet.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I don't see them posted here nearly as much as they were before Select.

Columns by Paul Krugman, for example, used to make the Greatest list again and again. Not anymore.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Oh, it certainly served to stifle the posting of these columns...

but I'm just saying that, if you really look for them, you can still find them in various places. So charging for them was a bit of a fool's errand.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. That's true, SR! nt

[madinmaryland]

9. Go to the Editorials Forum, he is always on there!

Also, check this out:
http://freedemocracy.blogspot.com/search?q=krugman

His editorials are normally up by noon.

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Thanks, mad! nt

[Piltdown13]

5. I wouldn't be surprised

I've been expecting the NYT to give up on TimesSelect for months now, ever since they gave free TS access to educators and students -- which would seem to be an acknowledgment that it wasn't working out the way they'd envisioned.

[shimmergal]

6. I Hope the TimesSelect is dying!

It's annoying as hell to scan a provocative title and then not be able to access it.

Granted, in the interim, I've slowly learned that those I really want can be found, without coughing up the 49.95 that I can ill afford.

Our local paper the Las Vegas Sun carries some of them thru syndication. And many thanks to the DUers who post links in Editorials, to blogs that carry the whole article!

Still, if I still had a full-time job, there probably wouldn't be time to pursue the latter strategy, at least.

Michael Kinsley once wrote a piece to the effect of "Nobody's willing to pay for content anymore." Obviously this doesn't apply to specialized or tech magazines, nor to book-length fiction or well-researched non-fiction. But as far as short news or opinion pieces, more and more I suspect he's right!

[BurtWorm]

7. They're working on another form of premium membership

that will probably also fail as it is similarly lacking in premium appeal--something to do with an e-book form of the paper. There will be the Times Online the hoi polloi is familiar with, maybe including the columns, blogs and chats, and the e-paper that will include the ability to search the whole archive. (The archive search is what really makes Times Select worthhwile for me.)

[frazzled]

8. The new membership thing already here

It's called NYT "All Access" and I can't even remember what it does, but it didn't sound that useful except that you can get the crosswords--alas, I think you have to download some special software mishegas.

We're home subscribers to the Times so we get this kind of membership free. They enclosed a note about it with our morning paper a few weeks ago, and I signed in just to get on board, but frankly, I rarely look at the online version unless I want to post something.

[defendandprotect]

10. Mockingbird/NYTimes . . . Actually before they did the TimesSelect damage . . .

you might remember that Maureen Dowd and Frank Rich had HUGE followings where they were regularly printed in the NY Times on Op-Ed page . . .
These are slightly liberal journalists -- Maureen was knocking them dead with WH attacks --
and so was Frank Rich --

So, let's believe that in the interests of increasing sales/$ the NY Times moved Rich to the Arts Section -- ??? yeah, I believe that!!!

And they cut down Maureen's articles -- and moved her to Saturday -- ???
Yeah, who reads the paper on Saturday?

So -- you're looking at a NY Times which is a Mockingbird paper -- and moving way to the right for quite some time now.

JudithMiller-gate
and the guy who did the Whitewater stuff at the NY Times --
and Wen Ho Lee --
Mockingbird . . .

Also think the NY Times wanted to end the feedback and emboldening that came from readers of Rich and Dowd --
Naturally it helps journalists to get feedback --
The NY Times cut off direct e-mail communication with these guys unless you $$$
I doubt that readers go into the TimesSelect now to shoot off an e-mail to either one of them.
I certainly don't --

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. Much more than 225,000 have access

since all subsribers of home delivery of the actual newspaper (remember those?) also have access.

[Canuckistanian]

12. I know that it's hurt Krugman's influence

You have to jump through hoops to read his excellent columns if you don't want to pay for the privilege.

There were a few sites that had his column a day late but they stopped working.

A new Krugman column used to be the highlight of the week to me, but now I don't bother seeking them out.

I just wait until they show up here.