New Journalism Clubs Are "Members Only"

 Desperate to stay alive, beleaguered newspaper executives first tried to “monetize” their “content.”

Now they’re desperately trying to “monetize” their “journalists.” And although theWashington Post recently stumbled badly in offering its pay-to-play sponsored ‘salons” to access seekers, the fact that the paper’s own ombudsman called the offer “an ethical lapse of monumental proportions” hasn’t deterred other journalistic powerhouses in their pell-mell rush to revenue. The latest cases in point: the New York Times and theGuardian…

As the indispensable Nieman Lab reported recently, “School’s in session at The New York Times this fall, and the professors include some big bylines on campus: Nicholas Kristof, Gail Collins, and Eric Asimov.” And if, like me, you are an indefatigable student of journalism, here is what’s on offer from the newspaper-of-record’s Knowledge Networkadult-education program, operated in partnership with local universities: one hundred weeklong, largely online courses for Times readers willing to pay between $125 and $185 in exchange for getting schooled by the likes of Times Op-Ed stars like Kristof and Collins.

The courses taught by Kristof and Collins also include a “live, interactive Webcast,” three written lessons, and a message board where students can interact with their instructors – although, caveat emptor, only a few of the hundred courses actually include the participation of Times writers…

This year marks the first time that Times columnists have participated in the three-year-old project – which as Nieman Lab noted, “could be a precursor to the membership model the Times is considering in its search for new revenue streams on the web.”

As Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper reported last month, Scott Heekin-Canedy, the president and general manager of The New York Times Media Group, “is deciding between two charging systems – a ‘metered’ and a ‘membership’ model,” and a decision is expected imminently.

“The metered model, as the Financial Times uses, gives access without a charge for a certain number of page views. The so-called “membership model” includes a collection of different privileges and services not available to the non-paying reader.

‘We have events – called Times Talks – where journalists interview important people. If you come in on the website, you might get special access to discussions with a journalist. There might be special offers for other products and services,’ he says, adding that special offers for hotels and restaurants could be included in any offer.

The decision by the publisher of the New York Times comes as the global recession forces newspaper owners to step up efforts to increase profits from their digital operations.

While a decision on how to charge will be made shortly, Mr Heekin-Canedy said formal plans will only be announced when the technology is in place. However, the group is hoping for a speedy roll-out of the system.”

The membership model was hawked just last month in a Times reader surveydescribing how paid ‘members’ of the Times Exclusive Journalism Club – oops, I mean “NYT Gold” — might purchase special access:

“TimesInsider: Ever wanted to talk cooking with Mark Bittman or to discuss books with Janet Maslin? How about a tour of the Times headquarters, including the newsroom? NYT Gold gives you insider’s access to the people who bring you the Times everyday.”

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