AP Sets Up Toll Booth For Bloggers
June 18, 2008
The blogosphere is on fire this morning over the recent news that the Associated Press wants to now charge bloggers a per word usage fee.
G.E.N.I.U.S.
So, which mental giant over at the dinosaur facility came up with this stroke of brilliance?
The (cr)AP, who hasn’t quite joined the 21st Century, will be immensely disappointed to find out that the new “fee” platform won’t be appreciated by anyone in the blogosphere - a community growing by the hundreds each day. The same community that prides themselves on dishing out link love to other bloggers.
Michelle Malkin writes: The Internet firestorm over the Associated Press’s heavy-handed attempt to bully bloggers over fair use article excerpts has been absolutely schadenfreude-licious. Now, it’s time to turn the tables. If your blog or blog commenters have ever been quoted by the AP, listen up: It’s time to prepare a bill and demand payment…
Malkin continues by listing a few occasions in which the (cr)AP quoted her blog directly, without permission, and then using the (cr)AP structure now in place, Malkin formulated a bill for $132,125 in which she will present to the (cr)AP.
We’re sure they’ll pay right up - if they can even figure out the cost structure Malkin used, which was, um, their idea.
Tell us how brilliant you think this idea is by emailing us a TIPS@FamousDC.com. And in the spirit of “fair use,” we’ll post the best comments.
UPDATE: Here’s a promoted comment that we found funny…
From bradkanus: “If I were the AP I would wait and see if this whole “blogging” thing catches on before I go and do anything hasty. Who knows, this whole internet thing may blowover next year and we’ll all be sitting around the record player in the den reading the newspaper again.”
Also, PhoenixSunsPhan, wrote a very good response as well. Check it out in the comment section.
I believe you all have used the phrase “shit the bed” before - well, let’s just say, because of this mess, the AP might be sleeping on the couch tonight.
This surprises no one. The AP is always about two decades behind, and their reporters, Jesus, let’s just say, socially awkward - trust me.
It looks like the AP wants to try and take back what topics are “hot” each day. Do they not realize that they would also be affecting every news source since most have kept up with the times and blog themselves?
I wonder if Metalica had something to do with this?
I think this approach is fantastic. Now I finally have a vialbe excuse as to why I don’t read their cr[ap]….
AP is losing revenue because traditional media like newspapers are folding up or being consolidated. This in turn, reduces revenue for AP. It doesn’t take a PhD in math to figure out that AP is attempting stop the blood loss.
Syndicates face a similar situation, but have learned to accept the digital media to a certain degree. They too, however, charge a cost per editorial or cartoon posted online. Generally, this cost is related to a specific site/blog’s traffic. The more traffic on your blog or site, the more money you pay for the syndicated editorial or cartoon.
For old-timers, It seems “rational” to charge bloggers for content usage similar to how AP. Old-timers don’t understand new media. They don’t understand that digital intellectual property of any kind will be copied/hacked/decoded. The music industry and movie industries are fighting a similar battle in the old mindset. Gaming companies, who are attuned to digital culture, deal with the losses and still make a profit.
The problem for AP is that the brand itself will suffer (as it already is with this negative PR, specifically Michelle Malkin). Bloggers will simply use other sources that do not charge money for the stories. AP will decrease its influence and reach, thereby reducing its “brand.” You’ll start seeing bureau chiefs “retiring” as the cost cutting ax comes in.
AP should focus on making deals with large sites/blogs using a fee structure that is reasonable, not tyrannical as the current structure.
Instead of pushing bloggers away, who are a new and revolutionary source of news content, AP is using an old-timer method, which is reflective of its management. AP should instead focus on creating better blogger outreach.
Perhaps one of the geniuses at AP should have created an online discussion forum on an AP blog to ASK bloggers that use AP content what would be the BEST COURSE of action. This would involve the entire blogging community in the dialogue. AP - which obviously doesn’t understand Web 2.0 or how bloggers/social media operate - failed to involve YOU the blogger in a communal discussion that would affect YOU. Such a discussion is almost mandatory in today’s online 2.0 society.
Anyone with Web savvy could have advised AP to create a forum to include debate BEFORE implementing a fee structure. Alas, the old guard that runs the media companies further run respectable media brands into the ground.
I can’t wait to see how the AP “geniuses” are going to adapt to Web 3.0 aka the “Semantic Web” which is going to be rolled out in the next couple of years. The don’t even know what’s coming.
It’s sad to see a bunch of people unable to adapt to the times hurt a great media brand like AP.
Bloggers need to fighting the good fight and ask AP why they were not included in a new fee structure dialogue.
If I were the AP I would wait and see if this whole “blogging” thing catches on before I go and do anything hasty. Who knows, this whole internet thing may blowover next year and we’ll all be sitting around the record player in the den reading the newspaper again.