Arianna Huffington, Backed by 3000 Enslaved Admirers, Joins the Paid vs. Free Content Debate

With Eric Hippeau-our ceo, Esther Dyson-one of our original b... on TwitpicTwo of our Female Internet Heroes, Esther Dyson and Arianna Huffington, were present at the annual Monaco Media Forum. The big topic was the business model of media, which was debated in a lengthy panel discussion between Arianna and Matthias Dopfner of Axel Springer media.

According to Arianna Huffington – the queen of aggregating media who (according to the panel chair Christine Ockrent, CEO of the government-funded France 24 TV channel) uses 3000 “enslaved unpaid admirers”  to produce the Huffington Post – consumer behaviour has changed in such a way that paid content models are no longer viable, remarking that content behind walls is not the future.

Moreover, citizen journalists have a role in bringing news, as according to Arianna Huffington one can spin traditional journalism, but one cannot spin citizen journalism. Get your content everywhere online, then payment comes automatically. Promiscuity in news, she says, works.

The video:

According to Matthias Dopfner of Axel Springer media, free content business models do not work, as proven by the financials of the Huffington Post. In contrast, a Polish newspaper, launched at the same time as the Huffington Post is far more profitable and Axel Springer himself makes a margin of 25%. He added that in order to preserve quality journalism, copyright protection rules, easy-pay models and paid journalists are all necessary.

Arianna also announced that the Huffington Post is starting a not-for profit venture in which it will start with investigative and reporter journalism.

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November 13, 2009 | Filed Under Simone Brummelhuis news | 1 Comment 

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One Response to “Arianna Huffington, Backed by 3000 Enslaved Admirers, Joins the Paid vs. Free Content Debate”

  1. Tweets that mention Ariana Huffington, backed by 3000 Enslaved Admirers, joins the Paid Content vs. Free Content Debate : The Next Women -- Topsy.com on November 13th, 2009

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Simone Brummelhuis and Simone Brummelhuis, augustocamargo. augustocamargo said: Ariana Huffington, backed by 3000 Enslaved Admirers, joins the Paid Content vs. Free Content Debate http://bit.ly/14nqC (via @thenextwomen) [...]

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