[leokennis]

Blendle had all major publication on board in the Netherlands for a few years. €0,10-€1 per article. It was heaven.

Also it was not profitable; most people read a few articles a month, netting them €1 or €2.

Now they only have a €10 a month subscription, giving unlimited access to a “selection of the best articles”.

I guess it’s better to have 5 customers paying you €10 every month, than 20 customers who might give you €1 or €2.

[hadtodoit]

I can't speak for the Netherlands but in the US most publications are just glorified tabloids. Not enough people appreciate quality journalism to pay for it, at least not enough to cover the operational costs of our bloated news outlets. So they turn to publishing "anonymous sources", hearsay, and outright lies that will be quietly retracted because it pays more than the truth. Spreading FUD has always been the MO of the news, I won't be upset if all these companies go belly up. Make way for a new generation of grass roots journalism.