Around the Web: A good discussion of paywall options

Free, or paywall, or some creative hybrid? That's the dilemma all Texas newspapers are looking at. And one of the most frequent requests we get at the Center is for information to help publishers think through their options. And there's certainly no lack of articles on this topic, and we've recommended a number of them. Here's a good one from one of our favorite blogs, Allen Mutter's Reflections of a Newsosaur. Mutter starts out with the one undeniable reality -- readers don't like paywalls and they look elsewhere when a newspaper puts one up. Mutter goes on to talk about three different approaches to paywalls now being tried: metered sites, hybrid sites, and one you probably haven't heard of -- dueling sites. It's a good overview that should help focus your thinking as you discuss the paywall issue in your newsroom.