Poynter contributor Dorian Benkoil has written an article entitled Journalism Online: Not Just a Pay Wall, in which he tries to offer "a fairer portrayal" of what the start-up "says it intends to do," in reaction to much reporting on the venture which he believes has been incomplete. Journalism Online, due to launch a prototype in the near future, promises to facilitate charging online.

Benkoil stressed that rather than a simple attempt to put up pay walls around content, Journalism Online offers a more complex service, involving helping publishers figure out whether or not they can charge and if so, how. And the concept is very much designed around the idea of only charging for some content, and of providing data to publishers so that they can make the best decisions. Gordon Crovitz, co-founder of the venture and former publisher of the Wall Street Journal, told Benkoil that "we managed to talk a few of our affiliates out of putting a complete pay wall around all their content."

The debate over whether charging online is in fact the best path for publishers is still raging, and many opponents have been vocal in their criticism of the idea of limiting the free Internet and sacrificing advertising revenue. However, recent survey results suggest that charging for some online content is being considered by 70% of UK publishers and 58% in the US.

Some publishers, such as News Corp, seem determined to charge online and can afford the resources and expertise to do so. But what could be particularly appealing about Journalism Online's offering is that it would be a far easier step to take. An interesting point that Benkoil makes is that "publishers are signing up because they have little to lose from a technology that shares whatever revenues it makes. If it doesn't work, they will have paid nothing out-of-pocket." Journalism Online recently announced that over one thousand (as yet unnamed) publishers have signed letters of intent with the company.

Actually implementing an online charging system for content is still a risk, however, as there will undoubtedly be some website visitors who are not prepared to pay and who seek their news elsewhere. And as Benkoil wrote, "whether any and all of this works... depends on the execution." Managing each publisher's specific needs, as well as managing so-called 'bundles' of content from multiple publications will be a considerable challenge for Journalism Online. The company currently seems the most likely contender to manage such a scheme, unless a technology giant such as Google makes a serious attempt to step into the field.

Source: Poynter