Pacific Business News Online Going "Behind the Wall"

[pzarquon]

The online edition of Pacific Business News will, as of July 24, be available only to print subscribers. Perhaps stuff generated specifically for the website will still be available, but waiting past the week-long window to see online what folks got in the mail will no longer be an option.

Just noticed the big red warning box today. After visiting other business journals in the same network, this seems to be a universal policy change, not one specific to our own PBN.

Interesting that there are still print publications taking their online content "behind the wall," while many others that were doing so are going back to making their stuff freely available. Evidence still that the best strategy to retain readership and advertising viability in the Internet age is still a mystery.

[Konaguy]

Re: Pacific Business Journal Online Going "Behind the Wall"

Oh just wonderful..I e-mailed PBN to see what exactly is going on. As I find
the news on their site useful.

[Erika Engle]

Re: Pacific Business Journal Online Going "Behind the Wall"

A former staffer at Pacific Business News, I know that Circ. Director Mary Beth Lohman worked very hard, against the odds, to keep circulation from falling away.

PBN has (or had at the time) an incredibly high pass-along rate -- you know, one copy for the office that gets a circulation list stapled to it and passed around (or not, if it gets hung up on the same person's desk each week until they pile up and fall off the corner).

They actually used that reality in a TV spot for which Howard Dicus did the v/o, encouraging folks to get their own subscription and not wait for the coffee-stained, ripped-up version that was left for those far down the distribution list.

I was pretty surprised to see how thin my last PBN was ... but then again, it's summer.

I surmise that it's sorta like summer ratings for radio when the teen stations do really well against the A/C's and other, older-demo stations.

I wonder if this is a local decision, or if it's an edict from American City Business Journals ... or perhaps even further up the Si Newhouse food chain?

[pzarquon]

Re: Pacific Business Journal Online Going "Behind the Wall"

Since I saw the same notice posted at the top of the sites for other business journals in the network, I'm pretty sure it's not just a local decision.

You are absolutely right, though, that PBN probably has the highest pass-along rates of any local publication. Something that's hard to quantify, even via ABC or some other circulation survey.

I thought the week-long window -- where you can't see the print pieces online until the print edition's been out for a while -- was a pretty good compromise. Folks that had to be up-to-date on things, presumably the more desirable readership, would pony up to get the dead tree version. Everyone else, perhaps more casual readers, would just tune in online later.

I am curious how much will be posted to the web between print editions -- web-only features, or daily briefs, etc. Because cutting out access to everything in the print edition will otherwise make their site a much less compelling destination.

I wonder what the online networks' advertisers think of this strategic change? Or are all online ads basically 'add-ons' to print sales?

[Konaguy]

Re: Pacific Business Journal Online Going "Behind the Wall"

This is the e-mail response I got from Jim Kelly and my response back to him.



Dear Mr. Kelly,
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that like how it is
right now. I check PBN's website just to see the posted news,
like for Thursday, Friday, Saturday. I was afraid that was going
to be taken away ? If you could clarify that, I would appreciate it.



Hi Aaron,
We'll still be posting news to the Web site and we will continue
to have our featured local daily story and photo. What will change
is that you won't be able to get at our other stories unless you're a subscriber.You are correct that this is a change being made across the company, not just at PBN. But see it from our viewpoint -- people drop their
subscriptions or don't subscribe because we have trained them to know they
can get our stuff for free if they just wait a few days. You wouldn't
believe the number of calls I get every week from people who want our
stories, lists and court records sent to them for free.
It's an issue all newspapers are struggling with and this is how our company
decided to deal with it. I hope people will find what PBN offers to be
valuable enough that they'll belly up, put their money on the counter and
pay for it.Again, thanks for writing, Aaron, and let me know if I can answer any other questions.

Jim Kelly
Editor
Pacific Business News

[Erika Engle]

Re: Pacific Business NEWS Online Going "Behind the Wall"

The name of this thread mis-names PBN and I cringe everytime I see it.
(Yes, I used to work there.)

It is a member of American City Business Journals, but it is called "Pacific Business News," PBN, for short.

Having said that, its sister-pub in Portland IS called the Portland Business Journal ... PBJ for short.

Anybody wanna sandwich?

[lavagal]

Re: Pacific Business NEWS Online Going "Behind the Wall"

The name of this thread mis-names PBN and I cringe everytime I see it.
(Yes, I used to work there.)

It is a member of American City Business Journals, but it is called "Pacific Business News," PBN, for short.

Having said that, its sister-pub in Portland IS called the Portland Business Journal ... PBJ for short.

Anybody wanna sandwich?

Hear, here, Erika! I, too, am a PBN alumni and am glad it now says NEWS instead of Journal! Eh, Erika! I wanna cheesesteak, courtesy of the Philly sister pub: Philadelphia Business Journal. Provolone, no whiz puhleaze!

@

[Erika Engle]

Re: Pacific Business NEWS Online Going "Behind the Wall"

Hear, here, Erika! I, too, am a PBN alumni and am glad it now says NEWS instead of Journal! Eh, Erika! I wanna cheesesteak, courtesy of the Philly sister pub: Philadelphia Business Journal. Provolone, no whiz puhleaze!

@

PROVI all the way!

I've been wanting to check out Ono Cheesesteak in town ever since I heard about it ... but man, I'm not going to drive all the way from the WW side for a sandwich. Perhaps the next time I have to stop into the newsroom .... (I think Ono uses white American cheese, sted Provolone, but at least it's not cheez wiz like that one place in Kailua uses. Ugh! (I know, some people swear by it ... but I no can.)
Brent's in Kailua uses REAL cheese and their cheeseseteaks are good. There used to be a place in Aikahi Shopping Center -- I forget the name -- but they flew in their marinated, seasoned beef mixture all the way from Philly. MAN that was good -- prices reasonable -- too bad they closed.
Ok, back OT ... cheesesteaks to the Philly BizJournal to PBJ Portland ... to PBN -- the latest edition of which features the almost rasta-colored redesigned FHB logo.