Small-town paper threatens to sue website viewers

Well, go ahead and file this story in the ridiculous folder.

According to BoingBoing.net, a small, regional newspaper in upstate New York called The North County Gazette seems to be trying to find a way to get people to pay for viewing their content on their website.

Instead of putting up a full-blown paywall or even incorporating a tip jar so people can give the paper money in the form of a micropayment if they appreciate what the Gazette is doing, they put up this little message:

We allow you to read one article for free—this one that you’re on.  Thereafter, to read more or to return later, a subscription is needed.  Please don’t abuse the privilege. To subscribe, see the ad to the right. We provide a service to you, we deserve to be paid for it.

As the BoingBoing.net headline said, this is pretty passive-aggressive attempt at making money via their website, but it gets even better.

Here is a message you sometimes get from the site:

(via BoingBoing.net)

This is unreal. All newspapers are looking for a way to make money online, but strong-arming customers isn’t the way.

The North County Gazette could easily end up getting shut down over this because of a public backlash, and they would deserve it.

If you want to make money, set up the paywall or something. Don’t sue people to keep your business running.

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About toddvogts 833 Articles
Todd R. Vogts, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of media at Sterling College in Kansas. Previously, he taught yearbook, newspaper, newsmagazine, and online journalism in various Kansas high schools, and he ran a weekly newspaper in rural Kansas. He continues to freelance as a professional journalist from time to time. Also, Vogts is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Journalism Education Association (JEA), and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), among others. He earned his Master Journalism Educator (MJE) certification from JEA in 2022. When he’s not teaching or writing, he runs his mobile disk jockey service and takes part in other entrepreneurial ventures. He can be reached at twitter.com/toddvogts or via his website at www.toddvogts.com.