From:  Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz
To:  Journalism Online Affiliates

We’re writing to update you on the launch of Journalism Online’s Reader Revenue Platform™. As you may have read today in the New York Times (NYSE: NYT), our team has been working since the summer to ready the technology for use—and now we’re just weeks away.

SEE ALSO: Journalism Online’s Private Beta Goes Public

The first publishers planning to launch on the Platform are currently integrating our software, in anticipation of offering paid access later this winter when our consumer-facing logo, Press+, will be presented to the public. Most are using some version of the metered model, though all are deploying their own variations. For example, one is combining the metered approach with the segmenting option; another is combining the out-of-market targeting with the meter; and a non-profit affiliate will combine the meter with a support campaign.

The timing for these initiatives could not be better. Our industry is adapting, and it’s now clear that many sites, large and small, will be soon be charging their most engaged online readers for access. Studies show that readers will pay for distinctive brands and content. The New York Times has announced that it, too, will be deploying a meter next year.

In short, the question is no longer “if,” but “when” and “how.” And our initial launch publishers are poised to begin answering those questions—which means we’ll be ready to equip you with market intelligence and experience so that you can incorporate best practices in your own careful launches.

Of course, because you’re an affiliate, we’ll be sending you reports from the front lines of the initial launches as they happen, but please let us know if we can provide you with more specific information in the interim, such as the types of other offerings being planned by your fellow affiliates.

We look forward to working with your team more closely in the days and weeks to come. Meanwhile, we encourage you to visit our new landing page at http://www.journalismonline.com. As always, please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Steve and Gordon