Elon Musk outlined on Saturday an idea for his Twitter platform that would let media producers charge users with a simple click for each item.
The billionaire businessman explained on Twitter that this allows readers who wouldn’t sign up for a monthly membership to pay a higher per-article price for when they want to read an infrequent item. He also added that this “should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public.”
He stated that the scheme will start the following month but gave no specifics on cost or the percentage cut Twitter would receive. The news came as Musk was battling to make Twitter profitable in the midst of ongoing turmoil. Since readers have grown accustomed to getting news for free online, media companies have struggled to create subscription plans that cover their operating expenses.
The Musk proposal raises concerns about just how he intends to succeed where others have failed with the micropayment strategy. The Columbia Journalism Review article by British writer James Ball outlined a number of issues with micropayments, which he claimed have “definitely occurred to major publishers across the planet.”
However, some Twitter users responded favourably.
Greg Autry tweeted, “Great idea.” As a frequent contributor to magazines like Forbes, Foreign Policy, and Ad Astra, I find it frustrating when my articles are placed behind paywalls that my readers are unwilling to pay for. This is the best course of action.
Finally, a pay-per-view for news that won’t make you feel like you’re purchasing, tweeted Carlos Gil, the author of a book on marketing.
