Michael Kinsley’s article It’s Not Just the Internet: Almost no one pays for content in any medium. is as true today as it was in May of 2001. This is a truth that Kinsley knows from bitter experience.
Broadcast, cable, radio, newspapers, and magazines all give content away in hopes of making money on advertising. It’s the rare media company that makes money on its (non-entertainment) content.
As we traverse the long tail of the online advertising recession and wonder aloud if we could make money selling our content, it’s important to remember this point.