Why Micropayments Won’t Work for the NYT
I’m not sure why the micropayments-as-the-savior-of-journalism meme seems to have taken off of late, but I’m glad there are lots of people trying to squash it: I’d particularly recommend Gabe Sherman and Clay Shirky. But in the case of Steve Brill’s “secret memo” on the subject, it’s worth responding to some of his specifics; a few points are worth making beyond those of David Cay Johnston.
First, Brill frames the question in an utterly bizarre manner, through the parent of a journalism student:
As one parent put it to me last fall, “Why are you luring my daughter into something that will never pay her loans when she could go to work for McKinsey?” I have been trying to construct an answer for her.
The answer is simple: “Madam, if your daughter wants to go work for McKinsey, she’s more than welcome to.” You want to make lots of money? Don’t become a journalist. In fact, if you’re the kind of person who would make a great management consultant, don’t become a journalist: The skillsets are just too different.
