Paywalls, growing mobile audience and ethics

The Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va., announced a paywall that is getting attention. A print subscription with all-digital access is $19. But digital only is $21. That's different than most.

I assume this is a test market for the abundance of papers in that region now owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway company. My old paper, The Roanoke Times, is in that group. Perhaps the day will come soon when I have to pay catch up news from my old hometown.

A Poynter story has more to say about this venture.

Expect to pay a bit more for the digital-only Richmond Times-Dispatch as paywall goes up. @RTDNEWS http://t.co/2JjLh65Sdb
— Poynter (@Poynter) October 30, 2013

The big guys like ESPN are well positioned to meet the growing mobile demand. But so many are not.

ESPN's digital audience is going mostly mobile; your favorite news outlet may be next. http://t.co/tQmFajkMZ0

— Nieman Lab (@NiemanLab) October 30, 2013

For students studying or about to study ethics, this Poynter site might be a great resource for you.

Great ethics resource from @poynter http://t.co/oj7Vyu5haH

— Journalist's Toolbox (@journtoolbox) October 29, 2013

Instagram, breaking news and the Cedarville University journalism major

Every social media tool is worth checking out to see how it can help a journalist tell stories. It takes time to understand how to use it effectively. But there is no doubt that social media and breaking news were made for each other. That's something we're trying to do well in the Cedarville University journalism program

Instagram with its new video capabilities is perfect for this. The videos are short, but long enough to give viewers a taste. A recent article on Poynter.org shows some examples.

Cedars, the student newspaper/website at Cedarville University, just opened an Instagram account. Check it out and follow us. And follow us on Facebook and Twitter.