OPINION: Digital subscription model a wave of the future

Dec 26, 2012 (The Peninsula Gateway (Gig Harbor - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- If you've visited websites for The News Tribune or The Olympian in the past week, you've probably noticed something new. Outside of the content for the two daily papers in our McClatchy Co. group, there's a digital subscription model that launched Dec. 17.

In other words, full access to online versions of the paper are no longer free.

But that's a good thing.

For one, it will give us a chance as a multimedia news organization to see who is reading the digital formats, whether it's online or on smartphones or tablets, and adjust business strategies based on results.

Print subscribers of The News Tribune will see a slight increase in their annual rates that will allow them full access to all digital platforms. But if readers only want electronic access, there's an option for that, too.

It's a better service to provide readers exactly what they need when it comes to daily reports and breaking news.

And it's going to be a major piece of the future of newspapers -- a much cheaper one, considering it costs far less to produce digital formats than it does to purchase rolls of paper and run them on the press.

Make no mistake, we're not talking about killing the print paper here. It's more an exploration of readers' habits, and how those are changing in different age groups.

The bottom line is, we want to deliver the news in the format you prefer.

More information and pricing structures can be found at www.thenewstribune.com/plus. You can also reach the page by visiting www.gateline.com and clicking on the ad at the bottom of our homepage.

COUPON BOOK SCAM A couple of readers alerted us on Friday to the possibility of a scam that involved someone calling and claiming to be from the Gateway.

The caller allegedly attempted to sell coupon books with our name on them and asked people to confirm their home address for delivery.

There are two big problems with that: The newspaper is not running a promotion for coupon books, and anything we would deliver would come with your newspaper.

Furthermore, the phone number that reportedly pops up on caller ID, 253-353-7064, is not an active number, nor it is associated with the McClatchy Co.

Jill Kenly, the audience development manager for our Northwest group of newspapers, said we are not actively selling coupons or coupon books via telemarketing or door-to-door.

Legitimate calls from the newspaper may ask people if they are interested in receiving a new Sunday Select piece. However, that's a free product, and readers would only need to confirm their subscription address for delivery.

Be careful out there this time of year. From natural disasters to tragic school shootings, there are people who attempt to pray on people's emotions to get them to part with their money.

___ (c)2013 The Peninsula Gateway (Gig Harbor, Wash.) Visit The Peninsula Gateway (Gig Harbor, Wash.) at www.thenewstribune.com/gigharbor Distributed by MCT Information Services

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