News In An Instant

It was far too cold to venture out to the paper shop last weekend – so I decided to check out the newspaper from the comfort of my home.

I am one of the growing army of people who think pay-walls will play a growing role in the media – as  it seems crazy not to monetise premium content.

So I decided to put my money where my mouth is and actually see what the News of the World site is like now it is behind a pay-wall.

As it happened, they have a free £2 credit offer on – so this time at least, it didn’t even cost me a penny.

It was incredibly easy to sign up – either by card or by mobile. In seconds I had access to the site. And I have to say I was impressed.

I like the fact that you can get the newspaper in its “print format” and can turn the pages on screen of both the newspaper and the magazine.

But what I liked even better is the way you can dip in and out of the sections which appeal to you, such as sport, music or money. Add to that access to exclusive shopping deals, good discounts and vouchers for high street names, then I can see it being a real hit with consumers.

Of course it is still early days for pay-walls, as I think sites will become more interactive, but I think consumers are willing to pay, especially when, with so many offers, there is every chance to effectively recoup the initial payment.