Oct 03 2007
Walled Gardens
The Age has a great report today on the crumbling walled garden of online financial content:
Where do these developments leave AFR.com, the subscription-based, online version of The Australian Financial Review?
In serious trouble, I would suggest. Not only is the global trend of paying for online media content working against AFR.com, but it has been plagued by problems with its software, making AFR.com difficult to use, by all accounts.
Michael Gill, chief executive of Fairfax Business Media, a division of Fairfax Media, which owns both AFR.com and The Age, still firmly believes in his subscription-based product.
…
The Australian Financial Review was the first national daily newspaper devoted to finance in Australia and for decades has provided outstanding journalism, making it a must-buy for the business community. But its original competitive advantages are being eroded.
Business information is available free online from myriad sources.
Comprehensive coverage of all industries is also available online in specialist newsletters and journals. Expert commentators are available in various media outlets, print and online.
…
AFR.com has negligible experience in the finance information and analysis business. So it seems odd for an organisation to trade its four decades-plus experience in the finance news business for a bucketful of headaches.
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