Neil Arun didn’t want to miss a rare but risky opportunity to embed with an Iraqi police unit, hunting members of al Qaeda. But his employers -- responsible for Neil’s security -- weren’t happy. This film by Richard Pendry nvestigates how a frontline journalist balances risk and reward.
At the end of May 2009 the Kent on Sunday freesheet started charging 90p a copy. At the time I blogged how this was an curious experiment and one I thought unlikely to succeed. People seemed unwilling to pay. Worse still, newsagents were unwiling to stock them.
Six months later; guess what? They're giving them away again!
Yes folks, as of today the Kent on Sunday is free.
A journalist who works for the paper told me, "It was a disaster. You can't give something away and then suddenly start charging for it. No-one was buying them, it was too confusing".
As most people know, we're witnessing a crisis in newspaperland; the downturn in ad reveunue, the rise of the internet and decling sales. In desparation some titles, like the London Evening Standard, have switched to the free model.
It looks like the Kent on Sunday, its fingers singed by trying to charge, would agree this is a better way forward.
Picture of today's masthead here; http://i45.tinypic.com/10ih2km.jpg
My original blog; http://kershmedia.blogspot.com/2009/05/free-newspapers-beginning-of-end-...
Graham Majin is Head of Video Marketing & Video Production at Kent video production company www.kershmedia.co.uk and www.kwikvid.com
