Charging For Online Video; Rather Loses

Today there were three interesting stories floating around the web that in some way involved the business of video journalism. First of all, the Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece by Peter Kann discussing that newspaper’s early decision to start charging for their online content. Though “expert’s say it’s too late to charge” for many other major newspapers today, the Wall Street Journal was an early advocate for charging for online content.

I can see the attractiveness in the inherently faulty business model that Kann currently sees in effect for many newspapers across the country. The idea of charging for a lackluster print product, and giving a better, multimedia product away for free doesn’t seem to make sense. I, do, however, think there is a benefit of having a set collection of articles to read for a day. That’s probably just my OCD nature needing organization though. Also, is it ironic that this article about charging for online content can be read online for free? Anyone? More after the jump.

I think that a large part of the online product’s superiority can be connected to its multimedia content including video. It makes sense to me that you should have to pay for this additional content. I thought that his other assertion was pretty correct as well, describing network news as having “abdicated” a large part of its responsibility to cable news channels. And those channels are most certainly “covering the wrong things” and focusing on “extremists yelling at each other.” Many cable news shows are more entertainment than news. I’m looking at you, Glenn Beck.

It was also announced today that Dan Rather had lost his 2-year-old suit against his former employees at CBS for “breaking his contract” and damaging his reputation. He tried to frame the disagreement as him fighting against some evil corporation, but I think it had more to do with Rather’s ego than a sense of morality. He’s not exactly Norma Rae if you know what I mean. I already think that in many television news operations today too many resources are being used on talent.

In other Anchor News, it looks like Byron Pitts will be the next full-time correspondent at 60 minutes. The 2nd African American in the show’s history, Pitts also has the interesting distinction of having been functionally illiterate until the age of 12.