Yes, you finally have to pay to access the wonders of JSOnline
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The New York Times. The Wall Street Journal. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel?
Yes, Milwaukee’s scrappy newspaper of record is taking a cue from the big boys and entering the seedy world of paid online subscriptions. Beginning tomorrow, JSOnline readers looking to enjoy the paper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning material (and/or the latest musin’-and-thinkin’ column from Jim Stingl) will have to shell out some cash for the privilege. Non-subscribers will be able to view only 20 articles a month, after which they’ll be publicly scolded for contributing to the downfall of print media and for keeping food off of Eugene Kane’s table.
In a bit of marketing stealth that would make Facebook blush, the JS announced its delightfully named “Journal Sentinel Everywhere” service under the cover of media darkness, a.k.a. during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Not that the paper is worried about a decrease in online traffic; according to WISN:
[Journal Sentinel Editor Marty] Kaiser said subscription-based newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and New York Times saw a slight decline in online page views, but believes their new apps and digital products will help maintain their currently [sic] level of online traffic. He said many papers around the country have switched to the online subscription model with good results.
“Some have kept just as much traffic as they had before,” Kaiser said. “Some had maybe a 10 percent drop off in traffic. There’s still a lot of information you’ll be able to get on our website.”
Clearly, if people are willing to pay for a fly-by-night rag like The New York Times, they’ll certainly pay for full online access to the Packer Insider.
To be fair, the JS does have plenty of terrific features: Kane remains an entertaining and thoughtful provocateur; Mary Louise Schumacher is one of the best (and few) full-time art critics employed by a major newspaper; and Daniel Bice continues to carry the torch for the sadly dying art of investigative journalism. And then there are the site’s many sharp, erudite commenters, who have provided The A.V. Club with so much joy over the years. Sure, you can visit probably 900,000 free websites for clueless and thinly veiled racist comments, but wouldn’t you rather pony up a bit of dough for the real deal?
