Poynter suggested a couple of Valentines for journalists last week to augment 10,000 Words’ excellent annual collection. Last-minute Romeos can save themselves a trip to the CVS: Here are a few more, along with the originals.
In other tales of journalism and romance, Paul Ollinger wishes his relationship with The New York Times’ website could get hot and heavy more than 10 times a month: “I pine for you,” he writes. “But you’ve got baggage. And you’re asking me to pay for it.”
You’re crippled by ex-lovers that go by the name ”printing presses,” ”dead trees,” and “fleets of Teamster-driven trucks.” I don’t fault you for these previous relationships, but don’t ask me to pay your alimony.
I know, I know – you can’t just let me pay for what I want without letting all your customers pay for what they want. That’s why old media baggage sucks so bad. You should call Time-Warner Cable and cry it out over a latte.
To be fair, the Times is also asking Ollinger to pay for the “journalism” produced today by “journalists,” but his larger point is that he’d like a little more benefit and a little less friendship:
Let me buy a $50 or $100 credits and charge them off for $.25 per article. If you charge me from article 11, and I triple the number of articles I read, that’s (20*$.25) or $5/month, $60/year from me.
Ollinger lives in Atlanta, where he’d pay just over 8 bucks a week for unlimited digital access and a Sunday paper, which would plonk the object of his affection on his lap once a week. I pay the same, and, unlike him, I’m not even one of the first 250 employees of Facebook! Ollinger, you’re a funny guy, but sense of humor takes a relationship only so far: If you want it develop you gotta whip out your wallet once in a while, too.
Related: ‘Will you be my ledeing lady?’ This year’s Valentines for journalists
