Do you pay for access to your online local newspaper?

Pay $6.95 to access the Augusta Chronicle online content? No thanks. The Augusta Chronicle allows "passers by" to visit what they deem as "Premium Content" up to 15 pages before seeing one of the prompts displayed in the image below.

I gave up the printed version of the Augusta Chronicle years ago. I use the online version to check out some local headlines but gave up reading it online after my last move in and out of Augusta because the comments demonstrated the need for commenting workshops, from the negativity of the commenters to those who type as they speak. The Augusta Chronicle is mentioned in PEJ's State of the News Media 2012 as they initially offered 100 page views at no cost to today's count of 15 free page views.

I will stick with WRDW, WJBF, and WAGT for my free local and Alltop for surrounding news feeds. I will occasionally view the Augusta Chronicle reporters on Google+ or Twitter but I will not pay $6.95 per month or $83.40 per year for what the AC deems as premium content. In addition to the price, notice the warning, "This page has insecure content".

Call me spoiled, but if I pay I do not expect to see the page has "insecure content" nor do I want to see ads. But as one commenter posted in the AC Publisher's article: Chronicle offers new ways to serve you in January 2011, "Only the ignorant will fail to see the value in the minimal charges" is yet another reason the holier than thou attitude will get you nowhere in Augusta. It is why people continue to get their Masters Tournament coverage from the national sources, vice the local premium content managers.

Augusta Chronicle did their research, but I opted for Pew's State of the News Media 2010, State of the Newpapers 2012, Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism Summary of Newspapers and Charts and Tables that Internet users can access with no additional fees.

If the Augusta Chronicle offered content that mattered to me, provided relevant information for my educational journey, presented content that was secure, and displayed no advertisements, I might contemplate a fee based access. But I pay for my education and my Internet service, where I can access information from sources more credible, plausible, and verisimilar.

The Augusta Chronicle offers an app for Android, iPad, and iPhone/iPod Touch currently, "Free for a limited time". Do you pay for access to your local newspaper online information?
Comments, recommendations +1s, and reaction check boxes are always appreciated.

The DD in Augusta

The Augusta Chronicle like many online news sources conducts daily polls on subjects ranging from A to Z. I use an RSS reader to subscribe to blogs, news, and tailored Google alerts.

As a military retiree who has moved in and out of Augusta, which coexists with the home of the Signal Corps, Fort Gordon, GA I am perplexed that this is the only city where I see growth in the population as well as the expansion in the digital divide...digital disconnect...digital separation.

I have blogged about living in a digital divide with a daughter who is one among many of the gadget girls growing up digital and a mother who is learning something new every week from listening to podcasts, texting, subscribing to blogs and news, working out with the Wii Fit, and many other learning objectives achieved while learning a new gadget, a new technique, or understanding a technical perspective.

Working with my daughter's high school and reviving BHS PTSA I saw an opportunity to connect teachers, students, parents, and community partners with no budget and created a newsgroup, a blog, website, and a MySpace. Like many parents of high school students I wanted to be involved without being labeled a helicopter parent and improve the negative press and statistics. I also understand that our young people will grow up and into the leaders of our communities, states, and global corporations.

I understand that this image below does not represent all computer users in Augusta. The informal poll demonstrates the participants use of social networking or as Vicki Davis, The Cool Cat Teacher, challenges us to rename it to educational networking. The Augusta Chronicle puts their spin on their media as any media organization does, but on any given day, you can see comments to articles referencing taxes, racial issues and there will be thousands of comments to an article. One positive article and maybe a parent or teacher will post a comment.

I understand that negative press sells but I also believe that inside everyone is the ability to resolve an issue by doing something. So as we reflect on our accomplishments of 2008, what have you done to improve your community? Practiced a random act of kindness? Said a kind word? As Ghandi is quoted, "Be the change you want to see in the world" and Aesop, "No act of kindess, no matter how small is ever wasted". As we all want, "Everything to be fine in 2009", what will you do to be one part of the solution to making things fine in 2009?

I have created a Ning to connect parents, teachers, students, community members as a collaborative web space. So if you would like to join, participate in discussion boards, share knowledge and experience, provide positive information, ask questions just request access to the RCSS Backchannel.

Poll from 11/21/08 Augusta Chronicle.