The Star Signs Their Own Death Warrant
In a monumentally stupid and uncreative move, The Star is moving toward paid content.
Bottom Line Communications has the details from a mass e-mail sent out earlier this week:
"The Kansas City Star has notified registered users of its KansasCity.com Web site that effective 9/4/09 it has implemented new "Terms of Service" that will include a subscription or surcharge for certain on-line content . . ."There are many reasons why this won't work . . . Here are just a few:
There are a lot more reasons why this won't work but it is sorta fun to watch these folks become so desperate and recycle ideas which have previously failed them as precious dead tree media becomes obsolete.
posted by Tony Permalink
I wonder what their paid subscription numbers look like nowadays?
down by 10% if they follow the rest of the country.
I received one of those e-mails. I don't think I ever linked to one of their stories. They must have had my e-mail because (I think) they used to require an e-mail address and password to read stories on their site. I only read one.
Your right on here Tony. I quit the paper subscription and no way would I pay to visit the website. They are dumbasses
So true..news is old by the time it hits print..
Just one thing. They can afford to file suit on you, and you probably can't afford to hire a lawyer to defend it, even if you DO get it dismissed.
I expect we'll probably see some laws changed, or case law, so that journalism can keep ownership of what they create.
People are wrong when they say no one owns the news. News is a product, it costs money to gather and it has value.
if you steal it for your own use, you may find yourself facing a new definition for fair use. Like an injunction.
We clearly need a new interpretation based on the new media and I expect it will come.
Actually it's really arrogant of you to say you have no respect for the Star and then out of the other side of your mouth, acting like they owe you republishing rights to THEIR efforts!
You're a guy who needs to be knocked down a little and they have staff lawyers...and you don't.
Were I you, I'd certainly credit them anytime you use a subscription story. People get confused when the paper has agreements with the AP and broadcast outlets PAY for that and you don't.
It's not free. Just like if you run a radio station, you pay to play the music. It's not free to you.
Your'e basically saying you're a leech and have no pride about theft.
I'm still surprised city government hasn't checked their phone system and their email server to see who your awesome tipsters are. It would be very easy to do. Everybody's got logs today.
If I was the mayor, I'd figure out a way to fire them and make them scramble for a real job in the free marketplace.
Somebody please hire radio man.
Somebody please take away Radioman's keyboard.
Don't think The Star has "staff lawyers"... they use a local firm when they need one.
BTW... does The Star credit Tony everytime they link to one of his stories? Uh... no.
It'd be interesting to see the case law on this; what is fair use? Can I put a picture on my blog if I credit it (which I do most of the time anyway. [sometimes I forget.])? Can I link to a story if I credit it? Is it parallel to using quotes in an academic paper with proper footnotes, or something else? One thing, I'll be even more carefully with my citations then I already am.
Frankly, you're both dinosaurs.
I'm only here to see Holly Starr's hogans.
True dat.
It's professional courtesy and whatnot for you (journalists and academics, anyone) to CITE what you get and use that was not originated / created / photographed by you (or someone you paid). Links are obvious b/c they just reference original content; pulling a few quotes out for commentary, etc., is borderline fair.
There is also Creative Commons licensing, by which people say sort-of admit they know people will share what they put up and say "that's ok, but credit me."
However, the print version of the Economist has photos all over it that are stock images or something; no individual photo is captioned or has a credit. Still trying to figure that one out.
For fun reading, start with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act:
http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf
Hopefully, you'll discover that dinosaurs like us have lived our lives in a world of change and adaption.
Perhaps your notion of what a dinosaur is, is what's dated. At any rate, you probably will be working for dinosaurs for a very long time because most youth havent been around long enough to find anything but their....
-repackage and redistribute under Fair use protections-
There are no fair use "protections". Fair use is always a defense.
Shut up Dave Helling. You couldn't cut it in TV the first time. Good luck on your second try. Nimrod.
I hear the new paid content will include nude photos of Jenee Osterheldt. Not too appealing, but since she is unable to write her way out of a paper bag, at least we get to see her fun bags.
Great post, Radioman. Thanks for the input.
A couple of thoughts:
1) Old people won't pay to link via computer, to The Star--they'll either take it at home or not at all;
2) Younger people sure as heck won't pay for the Star's content online--it will have to be free or they just won't get it. And by "younger", I mean anyone in their 50's and down;
3) I've said it before, it is highly hypocritical to bitch, bitch, bitch and criticize--what? daily?--The Star and then link back to them, time and again, for your blog. You serve a purpose, Tony, but it's ridiculously hypocritical of you to do all the above. (That and I'll repeat this, too--it's infantile to post all the pics of the scantily-clad females. Really. Lose it. We assume you're not 15 years old. If you want respect--and you write like you do--lose the pics of the women. It should be beneath you.)
Mo Rage
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