Horse and hound now charging to read news.

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BBH

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Just how greedy is this, to read some news articles on the home page you now have to join to become a VIP at a cost.
I don't know of any other website that is a pay to read .
 
The Times and the Daily Telegraph both spring to mind?

H&H is a business, they have to make their money somewhere.
 
I stopped buyinh H&H as I go on the website everyday at work and most things on the website would be in the magazine. So I'm guessing they want people to either buy the magazine or pay to read it online now
 
Makes sense to me. Just because it's not on paper doesn't mean someone somewhere isn't writing it and wanting to be paid for it. Personally I just decide that I wasn't that interested after all when I see it's a paid article :)
 
I have been told there is a way around it which is a bit of a flaw in their plan. If it is just news stories that are VIP I'd be surprised if they get many takers though.
 
I am not sure it would have that much appeal but I guess they have studied the web stats in order to reach their decision.

It could be worse they could charge to use the forum :eek3:
 
It's just an overlay, isn't it? So I expect a little creativity in the browser [redacted to protect thread ;)] window would do the trick, if you were the sort of shocking morally corrupt lowlife who would do such a thing :)
 
Floxie said:
It's just an overlay, isn't it? So I expect a little creativity in the browser [redacted to protect thread ;)] window would do the trick, if you were the sort of shocking morally corrupt lowlife who would do such a thing :)
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Good lord, of course I would never do something like that!
TheHorse is another website where you have to pay to view articles. Unless of course, you were a morally corrupt lowlife who knew how the internet worked ;)
 
People here might not be bothered but it's not gone down well on FB.

I wouldn't pay tbh there is nothing that can't be found else where for nowt.
 
It is a bit of a shame. I know a few people who write for a living and wonder where they'd be if their magazines failed due to the popularity of internet articles, but the attitude remained that if it's not printed it's not worth paying for.

That said, I don't pay for any online articles myself - but I don't (often) buy the magazines, either. I understand why people don't want to (I'm one) but it does seem depressingly fatalistic for journalism. Hopefully enough people WILL want to pay to read, and click those ads everyone else hates, so the magazines don't fail completely.

(I'm still a fan of the paper magazine - I don't trust myself with a phone or tablet in the bath!)
 
Makes sense, I guess! If people are reading online for free, instead of buying, the magazine will suffer.

I cancelled my membership in a temper tantrum after getting banned from here for advertising (for posting a blog with holiday snaps on it???) so I certainly won't be signing up!!

To be honest there was nothing of much interest to me on the site, and it would take about fifteen mins to get through the mag.

I my opinion, the news reports are kind of vague and brief. The BBC does better articles, even for horsey related news! The Chronicle of the Horse and Eurodressage websites both do much better articles, and are free. The comp reports never interested me either, not personal or pic heavy enough, I much prefer the ones posted by users on here, even just for local shows!

If they bucked it up a bit, and had more interviews and properly researched, in depth news articles, I would consider joining up. As it is, cba :P
 
Yes you're right.

I always buy the mag but the last two weeks have been so lightweight I've wondered why tbh, it's taken all of 10mins to read.

Some weeks are great ie Olympia or Hickstead but unless there is a particular show you're interested in I'm not sure it's worth buying.
FB gives me all the info and reading I need.
 
Floxie said:
(I'm still a fan of the paper magazine - I don't trust myself with a phone or tablet in the bath!)
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I like paper magazines too! I feel that Horse and Hound isn't, I don't know, very atmospheric?

I'm quite a visual person, but there's lots of blocks of text which are just dates or results or whatever, and I kind of blank out. I know they need to list results, but I would want more articles in there too. They could get some lovely photos of hunts on frosty mornings at this time of year for a few double page spreads.

I think they just need a unique image. Your Horse magazine definitely has the modern (mostly amateur rider, and I mean that in a good way because I am one :p ) vibe down perfectly, very bright and fresh and visual, and that is why I buy it. I think Horse and Hound should edge towards a more pro/traditional feel, like Country Life, but still perhaps make it stand out a bit more. Just my opinion, like I said, I pick magazines mainly on pictures!!! :o

Also they seem desperate to avoid sensationalism, which is good! But sensationalism is what most people want to read...

ester said:
True pigeon, I always find the online articles a bit thin on info.
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Yes, just a few lines with a generic stock photo! Which is fine if that's all the info available, but the other sites always seem to have about double the content, even if it is just padding...
 
IPC have always been greedy.I am still smarting from the time (yonks ago!) when they paid writers by cheque and if you cashed it, you'd have agreed to hand over the copyright. That prompted a change in the law making such unilateral contracts illegal. So I'm afraid Horse & Hound won't be getting any money out of me!

Do they still have so many titles? I suspect they are having a thin time of it as there is so much on line these days not so many buy paper. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
 
As annoying as it is you can see why they are doing it. After all, you wouldn't go into a newsagents and read a magazine before putting it back on the shelf... would you? Certainly not! :P
 
I'm surprised they have started charging as I thought all the adverts would be covering the cost.

I was getting HH on subscription until last week but I have just stopped it. TBH I was getting a bit disappointed with the content. Every week was the same. It only took 10 minutes to read and has been pretty thin too. I know there is only so much you can do with the format but it really is the same every week, even down to most of the ads in the back.
 
I would subscribe to the digital edition of Horse & Hound if it was significantly less expensive than the print edition (as I believe it should be because of reduced printing costs). However, 1 year's subscription is exactly the same for both.
 
Advertising also generates a lot of income for paper publications - moreso than sales. If circulation starts falling because more people are reading online, the prices they can command for advertising reduce.
 
Spudlet said:
The Times and the Daily Telegraph both spring to mind?

H&H is a business, they have to make their money somewhere.
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but they do, through advertising and through selling their magazine. The articles on H&H website should not in my opinion be charged for, its a teaser and their own brand advertising. Its pretty disappointing in my opinion. I do occasionally read some of the articles but would not pay to do so, I would instead search the net for information for free or a news article published by someone else.
 
kal40 said:
I'm surprised they have started charging as I thought all the adverts would be covering the cost.

I was getting HH on subscription until last week but I have just stopped it. TBH I was getting a bit disappointed with the content. Every week was the same. It only took 10 minutes to read and has been pretty thin too. I know there is only so much you can do with the format but it really is the same every week, even down to most of the ads in the back.
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Same, unless there is a specific article advertised on the front that cathces my eye I don't buy it anymore. And 9 times out of 10 if I have bought it I'm left wondering why I bothered, there's never anything remotely interesting in it, and it ends up repeating itself.
 
annagain said:
Advertising also generates a lot of income for paper publications - moreso than sales. If circulation starts falling because more people are reading online, the prices they can command for advertising reduce.
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However, this move could also be counterproductive, sales could fall because people dont use H&H as the go to place to read articles and news anymore.
 
JanetGeorge said:
They do! Do YOU manage to get around the forum wthout accidentally opening up advertising?? I don't - and use the forum a LOT less than I used to because of this hassle!
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Only one easily advoided ad at the top of the mobile site, and AdBlocker takes care of the rest on the desktop =) Not trying to be patronising but if you're getting hassle from ads there's a lot you can do to improve things.
 
I don't want to block ALL the ads though, some of them are interesting. I just want to block the annoying noisy or interactive ads.

I have always been amazed that HH put articles online and on FB.

I only tend to buy the mag if I am looking for a horse or want to see the preview or write up for a big 3 day event. Its too expensive to buy weekly IMO.
 
I rarely get any adverts invade my space while perusing the Forum. I usually take a look to see if, by any chance, an item of news attracts my attention. I will NOT be paying to view, news which will appear elsewhere anyhow, even if a few days later.
 
I noticed this too. Bit of a shame really as wanted to read the article about coping with joint problems. I can't see many people paying tbh, people will just look elsewhere online for free information.
 
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