Any internet user knows there’s no shortage of information online these days. You may have noticed that some news organizations have their stories “locked” behind a paywall. Although paying for online news may seem unnecessary to you and deter you from those websites, it’s actually a sign of strong journalism. Of course, whether you’re a research manager or head of communications, you likely don’t have the budget to pay for hundreds of news outlets per month. That’s where NICKLpass comes in. Keep reading to learn more about the value of high-quality news for corporate professionals and how NICKLpass can help.
Benefits of Paid News for Enterprise Users
According to the American Press Insitute, 53% of adults pay for news, and for a good reason. Paid news has significant benefits over free news, including:
High-Quality Content
Most people are willing to pay for services in life that they know are worth it. News is no different. Say a consumer has been a longtime ABC viewer. They start their morning with Good Morning America, watch their local ABC affiliate after work, and end their night with World News Tonight with David Muir. This viewer has grown to trust and depend on the quality coverage provided by ABC and will be more willing to pay to be able to access the news on the go, whenever they please.
Access to Unique Content
bloomberg.com is an example of a news organization that publishes truly unique content and studies, specifically in the economics and finance sectors. Most of Bloomberg’s online content is behind a paywall. Paying for the content provides great value to the reader because they gain access to content they otherwise would not be able to.
Access to News as it Breaks
When you sign up for a paid online news subscription, you have access to news as it’s unfolding. Gone are the days of waiting around for the 5 o’clock news to find out what’s happening in the world. Most paid news sites have apps that will send push notifications when breaking news happens or when anything happens that the user has chosen to be alerted to. This gives users a sense of connectivity to the world or their industry that keeps them on the beat of the latest happenings.
Shortcomings of Free News
Free news sites are everywhere these days. But, they are not without some major shortcomings, including:
Questionable Credibility
Anybody in the world can create a free website and start publishing what they call “news.” In fact, we saw this happen during the 2016 presidential election with the prevalence of “fake news” coming from Russia. This is a significant downfall of free news because if it’s not coming from a credible publication or one that you’re willing to pay for, there’s no real way to ensure authenticity.
Quality Concerns
You pay for what you get, and if you’re not willing to pay for news, you risk losing a lot of quality. Whether it’s typos, unverified sources, or one-sided stories, the budgets at free news publications are much smaller than paid news publications, meaning there are shortfalls when it comes to the content’s quality. Most news consumers don’t have the time or energy to put their own research into the news stories they read, leaving room for misinformation to take over and spread like wildfire.
Un-updated News
Similar to what we mentioned above, free publications are likely facing staffing shortages due to budget constraints. This means they can’t afford to staff their newsrooms around the clock, resulting in information that goes un-updated for hours. This means if you depend on free news, you could be missing out on critical updates to developing stories and left with information that is no longer accurate.
Try NICKLpass Today
As you can tell by now, the advantages of paid news far outweigh the shortcoming of free news. But, as we mentioned before, your organization likely does not have the budget for countless paid news subscriptions. That’s why NICKLpass is here, allowing you to arm your team with the right news and information for the job without eating up your entire budget. You can even create custom news packages for your teams to ensure they are getting the news that matters most to them. Contact us today to learn more and to sign up for a free trial.