I’m a little belated with this post. Nevertheless it’s an important topic vis a vis paid versus free content.
Guardian beefs up law section with LexisNexis info deal – Press Gazette, points out that UK National newspaper the Guardian is taking on established rival the Times with a free online legal reports service in partnership with LexisNexis.
The Guardian is well-known for its resolute stance against paid for content online while the Times’ (and News International papers’) approach is becoming more and more aggressive towards generating income from subscriptions.
It’s interesting that business information like legal reports could end up being the battle ground for such a price war. The Times is still an established home for law reports, and lawyers like nothing more than to be considered for its flagship ‘lawyer of the week’ column. However, as a niche financial and business journalist, I subscribe only to publications that it’s essential for me to read and as such the Guardian’s new offer is an enticing prospect for anyone with a focus on legal services.
Until the internet becomes less of a minefield, with millions of publishers and blogs – like the very one you are reading – battling for your attention, a product that charges for its content has to rise head and shoulders above the rest. The Times thinks Rupert Everett will sell that to us with its new online paid content ad campaign – indeed £1 for a month’s subscription is a bargain, but if the Guardian’s legal content like this remains free at the point of delivery and it is of sufficient quality to justify the fanfare, I’ll be taking the cheaper option more often than not.
I think I’m probably just sick of entering usernames and passwords.
Ralph Savage
Tim Evershed
