Nation Media Group latest facelift
By Linda Otieno
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Hey there, friend!
Just a little disclaimer:
We're going to take a little breather from our Personality & Communication mini-series to talk about something really important that's going on with Nation Media Group...
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| Nation Media Group latest facelift: The Paywall Model Courtesy: pexels.com |
Nation Media Group (NMG) has undergone many transformations recently. NMG made new additions to their site. The media group introduced Nation Audio, a podcast that gives listeners interesting and compelling stories. Nation Puzzels is another fun level up that targets puzzle lovers who love intellectual workouts. The media group even changed its digital brand name from nation.co.ke to Nation.Africa.
Its latest facelift is the use of a paywall model to deliver its newspaper content.
Paywall model? What is that?
A paywall is a method of restricting access to online content via a paid subscription. This is common with digital content providers like newspapers and magazines. It is a way for online publications like Nation.Africa to monetize their content.
There are different types of paywall models.
1. Hard paywall
This only lets website visitors access content after pang the subscription fee.
2. Metered paywall
This website gives readers access to a specified number of articles for free per month before they have to pay.
3. Freemium
First of all, can I just say how much I like the word play? Some content is free, while other content is provided as a premium offer to subscribers. Get it?
This website allows readers to access most of the website content freely. However, it asks for payment of a subscription fee for some in-depth articles and investigative pieces.
This model is also called soft paywall. Perhaps because it’s the only one that tries to go easy your pocket. It’s the softie of the group. Others also call it reverse paywall.
4. Hybrid paywall
Finally, we have the hybrid. This website combines the freemium and the metered approach.
5. Voluntary donations
Some publications let readers make voluntary donations to make sure the content stays free and outside of a paywall. The Guardian is a good example. Donations are made by readers who value the publication’s editorial independence and commitment to investigative reporting readers can freely access content on the site, while a sidebar links to various funding options.
Which one did NMG choose?
NMG chose to go with the last one – the hybrid paywall.
I think it chose this because it allows Nation.Africa to remain friendly enough to you by giving you plenty of free content. At the same time, it makes sure that you still need them enough by holding back key stories like in-depth articles and investigative pieces, unless you pay money for them. In their defense, it takes a lot of time, money and hard work to do in-depth and investigative pieces. So, it makes sense that they are making you pay for it.
I also see why Nation.Africa decided to go for a hybrid method. It’s dynamic. It gives them the freedom to change their approach to adapt to reader behavior. Nation.Africa will implement this new paywall method starting February 8, 2021.
What was it like in the past?
Publications used to survive on adverts, retail sales and one-off payments or subscriptions to bring in the money. This trend is gradually dying off.
Why is that?
Well, it’s because of us - the readers. As more digital content form publications became available online, fewer readers were buying newspapers and magazines. At first, this content was free in the online space. But as time went on, publications released that they were getting little money for their content. So, naturally they had to find a way to make people pay. That’s how the different paywall models were born.
Everyone’s doing it
That’s right, Nation.Africa is doing it because everyone else is. The New York Times and The Washington Post use the metered paywall.
Paywall downside
The paywall model has been criticized for at times for sealing relevant information and news with payment barriers. As we’ve seen, you won’t be able to read Nation.Africa’s in-depth and investigative pieces online unless you pay for it. Critics of the paywall model argue that those with a lower income don’t have the financial means to pay for this kind of content.
Another critique is that paywalls can promote digital bubbles. Readers with a monthly subscription will be more inclined to read articles from sources they are already paying for, hence moulding public opinion is easier.
Paywalls can also dampen marketing efforts of publishers. Hard paywalls can lead to a decreased number of website visitors. Since fewer visitors will see ads on such sites, advertisers may instead go for publishers using soft or metered paywalls.
Will this work for Kenya?
I think NMG’s new paywall method will work because a significant number of Kenyans read their newspapers online.
However, I don’t think everyone can afford a smart device. So, I do think we will continue to have a hybrid system of both soft and hard copy newspapers for quite some time.
The paywall model will persist and potentially evolve, I believe. Paywall, whatever shape it takes, ensures that publishers get paid for their content. And who doesn’t like getting paid for what they do?
What do you think of NMG's new payment method?
Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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| Courtesy: pexels.com |
Sources:
•Daily Nation, 8th February 2021, pg. 42
•https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/online-marketing/online-sales/paywall/#:~:text=A%20paywall%20describes%20a%20method,paywalls%20to%20monetize%20their%20websites.
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