No, I don't think you understand. While what you say may be true, the facts are that most people today won't pay high subscription costs for online media...period. The only way they will continue to exist is to pay for it all with advertising. You are stuck in the past. Trying to do things in the future the same way they were done in the past is a lost cause. Sorry...adapt or die.
Again, you make no sound argument. I do understand. Very well. Seemingly better than someone who says, "adapt of die".
Just because some people don't want to pay for something doesn't mean it should or will become free. Period.
Delivering digital publishing does not cut ALL the other business costs. Don't you get it. It's possible that digital distribution could lead to price reduction IF the sales increase. But at this stage where it's complicated and mixed, it doesn't. Maybe in the future. Maybe not. As you don't seem to understand, the cost of printing and shipping is replaced with the cost of digital infrastructure and distribution. The rest of the business is still the same - staff, offices, etc.
"Adapt of Die", just a silly saying when you don't really understand the whole business. FYI I'm totally immersed in the digital world in my personal life and work, so get it and I've already adapted. But that does not change anything. It's the business model that needs to be examined and it's complicated. Just having digital distribution doesn't mean consumers get your product for free now. You're comment about paying for it all with advertising shows how little you know. Magazine already make money on advertising dollars. Advertising is changing all the time, so that's part of the complexity.
Look at other digital examples, music, movies, books. They have not become free. Look music is even going up in price a little. Information will always have value. Context has always been king, and generally it has a cost.
Don't expect things to become free because you just don't want to pay. Also, you'll end up paying for it another way, like the way FB and Google use your info to spam you with contextual advertising.
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I personally think they will have to make it work to survive. The question is how much are people willing to pay for a subscription. I know I would pay a little for something important to me. It might be a better idea to sell per issue instead of subscription. Some installments might interest me and others not. Why should I pay for something I won't read? Time marches on and the magazine publishing business must evolve or become extinct.
You can already buy magazines per issue. You can even buy the NY TImes buy issues digitally (even the Sunday Times per issue). Also look at cable, you can't buy a la carte (though we all would like to), because the whole business model is so complex. Partial subscription makes no sense. Either buy one issue or a the whole sub (which is cheaper). This makes sense for everyone.
Nothing is going extinct. The content has value; people want it. Silly people cried the book publishing (and music) was going to die too, but digital hasn't changed that.