Media Monday: Will you pay for online content?

Perhaps the biggest question being debated in the newspaper industry today is would people be willing to pay for content online.

The model for print newspapers has been that about 20 percent of the revenue comes from charging for the newspaper and 80 percent comes from advertising.

But the online model now depends nearly 100 percent on advertising revenue.

A recent study about the issue by an organization called ITZ/Belden Interactive indicates that paywalls are not a panacea.

Of the few newspapers who are charging for content, they have only 2.4% of the number of their print subscribers paying for online content.

And when you do the math, the revenue generated falls far short of the revenue made by advertising or even the print subscriptions generate by these newspapers, I imagine.

The Wall Street Journal does charge for some online content, but I wouldn't consider them the "normal" newspaper. Although they are expanding their coverage to compete more with USA Today and the national edition of the New York Times, I imagine most people are paying for access to financial information that only the Journal provides.

Unfortunately for those advocating charging for online content, the "genie," as they say has already been let out of the bottle.

This survey shows and the future will show that people are not willing to pay for online content.

You think newspapers have it bad? Try magazines

If you keep up with the media landscape, you would think that newspapers are the only media group with problems these days.

As ESPN's college football personality Lee Corso would say: "Not so fast, my friend."

The economy has affected all media companies - from television stations to networks to radio stations and, in some cases, even companies with strong Internet revenue.

Especially hard hit are magazine titles. In the last two years, more than 1,200 magazine titles have ceased publication. That's equivalent to the number of American daily newspapers.

According to recent reports, the good news is only 383 have shut down this year, including several publications from Conde Nast such as Modern Bride.

While a few newspapers have gone out of business, the larger names - Rocky Mountain News and Seattle Post-Intelligencer - were in markets with two newspapers. For decades, it's been obvious that even large markets can't support two newspapers.

But no U.S. city of any size is without a newspaper nor will it be.

Media depend almost exclusively on advertising for revenue and the current economic recession is the driving force behind lagging revenue. And as the economy recovers, so will advertising.

In the meantime, don't believe everything you hear in the media about newspapers. It usually needs a little perspective.