Paywalls, will you pay to read news online?

**R650R** · 25th July 2014, 17:38

So NZ Herald reckons its close to implementing it. Their site already seems troublesome, often getting the 'flash' infinite circle of page not loading... not to mention the local papers slow to dripfeed new content in.
Well its good bye from me then. Also plenty of blogs are cut n pasting news these days, especially via facebook so think its not going to work in NZ...
How do you see it going... ?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ectid=11298703

**Tazz** · 25th July 2014, 17:42

Nope! I pretty much exclusively use the BBC and Al Jazeera apps since NZ reporting started slipping.

**mashman** · 25th July 2014, 17:57

Meh... I'll rely on the gossip at work as it seems to be just as accurate.

**James Deuce** · 25th July 2014, 18:13

Originally Posted by Tazz

Nope! I pretty much exclusively use the BBC and Al Jazeera apps since NZ reporting started slipping.

This! Perfect!

**Gremlin** · 25th July 2014, 18:53

I can sorta see why they're doing it. We've recently had a free trial of the Herald (I imagine we were one of several million) and there was no way you could read the whole fricken thing. Hell, I didn't even read one of the papers, not even an article.

There was one awesome moment for it. Everything had just been recycled, no spare papers around, and I was desperate one Saturday morning. Sure enough, there's the weekend Herald in the box (still in the trial). Grabbed it, took an unimportant section out and used it as a stencil for some vinyl wrapping. Awesome.

Oh... still didn't read that paper of course. I do however, use the Herald app almost daily on my phone or tablet just to see the most important headlines, check the world exists etc. That news has to be created by someone, who has to be paid... However, I definitely don't need the news that badly, so I'm definitely not paying for it.

**Swoop** · 25th July 2014, 19:47

Originally Posted by Tazz

...since NZ reporting started slipping.

What????!!!

Only a complete retard would rely on the Harold for anything more than some thugby information.
REAL news? Go elsewhere!

**Scuba_Steve** · 25th July 2014, 20:05

Meh, I get most my news from KiwiBiker or Engadget; Both more respectable than NZ "mainstream news media"

**Voltaire** · 26th July 2014, 11:46

Originally Posted by Gremlin

I can sorta see why they're doing it. We've recently had a free trial of the Herald (I imagine we were one of several million) and there was no way you could read the whole fricken thing. Hell, I didn't even read one of the papers, not even an article.

There was one awesome moment for it. Everything had just been recycled, no spare papers around, and I was desperate one Saturday morning. Sure enough, there's the weekend Herald in the box (still in the trial). Grabbed it, took an unimportant section out and used it as a stencil for some vinyl wrapping. Awesome.

Oh... still didn't read that paper of course. I do however, use the Herald app almost daily on my phone or tablet just to see the most important headlines, check the world exists etc. That news has to be created by someone, who has to be paid... However, I definitely don't need the news that badly, so I'm definitely not paying for it.

I've got the free Herald too, seems to be mostly Womans Weakly type stories these days and lots of Harvey Norman and Noel Leeming adds.
Would I pay for it on-line....no.
For real in depth journalism I rely on TV 3

One minute you have Mike McRoberts in Palestine...the next you have Commonwealth Games.....

**MisterD** · 26th July 2014, 12:53

No from me. I stopped reading The Times when they went paywall, luckily my phone seems immune to the Telegraph's which limits access on ipad and PC.

**Dobbin** · 26th July 2014, 15:05

I was told at NetHui a couple of weeks ago that Stuff were pulling back on the idea of a paywall, and the Herald would be nuts to do it alone.

**Tazz** · 26th July 2014, 15:06

The only 'pay for news' site you should ever actually pay for:

http://www.theonion.com/

**Blackbird** · 26th July 2014, 15:25

I suppose Stuff will follow the Herald. We rightly criticise NZ broadsheets but just look at a selection of British news websites these days to see how much journalistic standards have slipped and how much political bias shows - bloody terrible. For business news reporting, I get the daily NZ Sharetrader news sheet emailed to me and also a specialist report from a financial adviser. Will have to rely on TV for general news if the Herald and Stuff turn into paid websites.

Being retired, it's amazing how little I give a f--k these days. Too busy having fun

**Robbo** · 26th July 2014, 15:34

No way will i be paying for the crap and misinformation that the harold publishes. Plenty of other sources for free and more acurate news stories.

**nerrrd** · 26th July 2014, 15:51

Think you might all still be paying for it, just paying Telecom/Vodafone/google etc for access rather than content. Who knows, at some point they might have to set up their own news agencies/bureaus, since they might be the only ones left who can afford to do so (assuming the demand is still there).

Don't think I would pay to access a news site, but then I haven't had to yet, not sure how much I'd miss it.

**Motu** · 26th July 2014, 15:52

I got the free Herald too - it's the same stuff as the website, and has made a shit load of paper to recycle. I'm not paying for TV, and I'm not paying for news - if they take it away from me, I don't care at all.