The New York Times has decided that if it’s top writers can’t make money for the company behind a paywall, then perhaps other ways might work better.

Neiman Lab reports:

School’s in session at The New York Times this fall, and the professors include some big bylines on campus: Nicholas Kristof, Gail Collins, and Eric Asimov. They’re offering weeklong, largely online courses for Times readers who pay between $125 and $185.
…
The courses taught by Kristof and Collins, both op-ed columnists, include a “live, interactive Webcast,” three written lessons, and a message board where students can interact with their big-name instructors. For that, the Times is asking $185. Kristof’s course is on the exploitation of women in developing nations; Collins’s deals with the history of American women’s rights since 1960. Wine columnist Eric Asimov’s course, for $125, is a single session that students can attend in person or online. (Booze not included.)

But the newspaper of record will have to run a significant number of these courses to generate any serious revenue.

I reported recently that the Guardian was considering a “members’ club” in order to raise revenue.

That follows in the footsteps of the New York Times, which recently unveiled ‘NY Times Gold’ and ‘NY Times Silver’. Both membership clubs are designed to offer readers behind-the-scenes benefits for some extra dosh.

The Guardian is also moving forward with its own plans for a membership club. It recently advertised a job posting on its website:

Increasingly we believe our future resides at the centre of a community of engaged readers and users, whose relationship with us will be much closer and more involved. The Guardian Club will be our transformational next step in bringing these customers to the centre of our business, rewarding loyalty while growing our reach and revenues. We want members of the Club to feel that they are genuinely part of our organisation, and as close as it is possible to get to the editorial heart of our company.

The future of online journalism seems to be shaping up into a battle between pay-walls (News International, FT) and membership clubs. It’s still unclear what the Telegraph group is considering.

· About the author: Sunny Hundal is editor of Liberal Conspiracy. He works full time as a journalist, commentator, blogger, activist and general layabout. He was voted Guardian blogger of the year in 2006. Also at: Pickled Politics, on Twitter and Comment is free.

· Other posts by Sunny H

· Filed under: news

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