The penny is dropping about what News International is aiming to do; it is not just about charging for access to the online version of The Times. Having seen, among other things, how the BBC website has become a varied source of entertainment & information, which allows for lively interaction with its consumers, The Times will not remain forever as a newspaper with a website. It will be a website with a potted version, or daily guide in print available from all good newsagents. A place to which people will turn automatically for news & entertainment because they trust the brand & feel a part of something – hence all the special events, clubs etc on offer.
Which makes a lot of sense really – assuming the electricity stays on. The Times has always been a leader.
But, especially for those of us old enough to remember the great battle of Wapping, the move raises interesting questions about the relationship between the ownership of content & the means of production & distribution & access. Search engines, servers, cable & wireless.
It will also mean that, like driving, printing will change to be one of those jobs we have to do for ourselves. I hope they soon come up with a decent affordable alternative to ink-jet.
