I was startled to see this discussion on The Union’s Facebook page:
“So much for being able to share news with our Facebook friends,” The Union wrote. “Posts from business pages aren’t shown any more to friends who have ‘liked’ the page. It doesn’t make sense for us to pay $30 for each post shown to our friends. In other words, FB is no different than any other commercial media now.”
1. Ironic comment, since The Union initiated building a big Facebook fan base, inviting subscribers to “like” them, rather than just grow it from grassroots. Then it bragged about its fan base. Now it is being critical of social media.
2. No, the pages still are shared with some of your Facebook fans, without charging. The fee service just allows you to reach more of them. Facebook still largely is a free service.
We have used the “promote” feature for our business — to promote Music in the Mountains this morning, in fact. And no, it’s not $30; it’s for as little as $5. It makes sense for our business to do this!
3. The Union’s misinformed post generated 70 comments from readers, many of them critical. One example: “Can’t believe that for such a small town, The Union wants us to pay to read online local news, and now at the local stores you guys want a 1.00 for a paper, Very disappointed. Guess I will just get my news from kcra 3 because it IS free.”
Or “I wonder if I will read about this post in tomorrow’s Auburn Journal…..no charge!”
4. A new publisher who “makes nice” with the community rather than alienating some of it will no doubt begin to make a “paywall” model more successful. At least it’s a first step. Improving the quality of the content will help justify a “paywall” too. There’s just too much competition, even in a small town.
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I see The Union is bringing back reader comments. I wonder if readers have to pay to comment?
Interesting that the post left that out. Which leads me to believe you might have to be a subscriber. After all, you can only read a few words of what you’re commenting on without subscribing.
http://www.theunion.com/article/20120629/BREAKINGNEWS/120629695/1066&ParentProfile=1053
Last I checked, you could comment for free on Facebook. LOL!
As far as a “newspaper” the Union is a bad joke. And even with a new publishers I don’t expect i to change. It’s Swift Communications (an oxymoron).
The best thing The Union could have done was move Jeff Ackerman on. The worst thing The Union could do is bring back the Reader Comments. They tear this community apart and do nothing but give a place for hatred to germinate.
Reinette:
I’ve had many wars of words with people, winning some and losing some –– and have been both a giver and receiver –– but I’ve always kept in mind what is usually referred to as Greener’s Law: “Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel and newsprint by the ton.”
No one knows with certainty who first uttered or wrote the phrase, but it’s good advice.
You’re a public person, a former Nevada City mayor, and you have your causes and battles — just like me and so many others — but picking a fight with the local daily newspaper might not be the best way to move your causes and battles forward.
When I stepped down from the council in 2008, I said that there comes a time when tribal leaders need to become tribal elders. That doesn’t mean you stop fighting for what you believe in, but getting into a fight with The Union’s management (past, present and future) might not be the most efficient approach.