Charging for a special section

I'd like to see the special section first. Any Raleighians willing to weigh in?

At my place, we've thought about charging subscribers extra for a preview magazine we do. And would have done so, if the magazine had been also available for sale as a standalone.

I wonder if this section isn't really more of a magazine that was produced for all the McClatchy papers.

Now if this is a an 8-page tab full of wire copy, I'd be bitching, but I'm going to withhold judgment until someone knows a little more.

 

This means advertising didn't do its job.

 

If this is full of original copy and art that can't be found anywhere else, then MAYBE it's worth the extra buck -- though automatically charging your subscribers for it crosses the line of gutsy business decision and is just plain stupid.

But how much of this is original content??? Likely little to none.

My guess is it's 70/30 (or even 60/40) McClatchy/AP content, likely with a few full-page graphics and random 3X2 ads throughout the section. Ripoff.

Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if our corporate overlords aren't sitting in their offices right now saying, "Why didn't we think of that?!".

 

Ding ding ding!

The ads sold for the special section should more than pay for printing it.

 

And at my shop, I bet some subscribers would pay to NOT receive some of our "special" sections (Progress, Summer Fun Guide, Senior Living, etc...). They're absolute dreck thrown together at the last possible moment, or whenever advertising decides they're done working.

 

Paying for printing it isn't the same as getting an extra X-number of bucks from every subscriber, minimal as that may be. Squeezin' every drop.

 

Our little CNHI rag tripled the price (From 50 cents to $1.50) for the Thanksgiving edition AND had ridiculously early deadlines in order to get the extra ad inserts included. That's all newspapers care about anymore.

 

Because the AP writers do a better job writing and reporting than the staff guys.

 

I think it's a mistake to charge extra. For all of the reasons stated above, but also because you'd have to pay me to read anyone's Olympic preview section.

Disagree on blaming the ad department for not selling special sections. If I own a store, my yearly advertising budget does not increase because it's an Olympic year. The Olympics may cause me to spend more in July, but then I will spend less in October to stay within budget.

 

"To Our Readers: We called in three reporters and two photographers last night to beef up our coverage of the downtown fire. You will be charged $1 for this Special Bonus Coverage."

 

My impression is that lots of papers now charge the Sunday rate for the Thanksgiving paper.