Twitter payment plan: Elon Musk says will allow media publishers to charge users | Tech News

Twitter payment plan: Elon Musk says will allow media publishers to charge users

Elon Musk said the plan would begin next month, but provided no details on exact pricing or what cut Twitter would take.

By:AFP
| Updated on: May 01 2023, 11:23 IST
In Pics: Your Twitter has been changed forever by Elon Musk
Elon Musk
1/7 Twitter top officials fired: As soon as Musk took over Twitter, he fired the top executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde. That was the first decision taken by Musk at Twitter. On Friday, Twitter also laid off 50 percent of its employees and Musk defended the step by saying that this is being done in an effort to place Twitter on a profitable path. (AFP)
Elon Musk
2/7 Charges for Blue Tick: Twitter users who want a verified account will now have to pay charges for the same as Twitter will now charge $8 for Blue Tick. Musk supported the decision by posting a number of tweets regarding the same. He believes the subscription fee will give Twitter 'a revenue stream to reward content creators' while the company will not have to depend on advertisers. (REUTERS)
Elon Musk
3/7 Twitter Content Moderation Council: Twitter will set up a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints. The council will be accountable for all main content-related decisions. (AFP)
Elon Musk
4/7 Advertisers: General Motors, General Mills, Audi of America, Oreo maker Mondelez International, Pfizer Inc and Ford are some of the corporate companies who have distanced themselves from Twitter. Several advertisers have suspended ad spending on Twitter altogether. (REUTERS)
Elon Musk
5/7 Changes to Twitter's homepage: Musk requested that users who have logged out of Twitter and visit the homepage of Twitter's site to be redirected to the Explore page which shows trending tweets and news stories, according to a report by Verge. (REUTERS)
Elon Musk
6/7 Vine: Musk put up a poll on Twitter asking people if he should bring back Vine. (AP)
Elon Musk
7/7 Removal of Days of Rest: Days of Rest has been removed from the calendars of the Twitter employees. It can be known that the Days of Rest refers to the monthly days off to let employees rest and recharge. (AP)
Elon Musk
icon View all Images
The Musk plan raises questions about how exactly he hopes to make the micro-payment approach work when others have failed. (REUTERS)

Elon Musk on Saturday announced a plan for his Twitter platform to allow media publishers to charge users on a per-article basis with a single click.

"This enables users who would not sign up for a monthly subscription to pay a higher per article price for when they want to read an occasional article," the billionaire entrepreneur said on Twitter, adding, "Should be a major win-win for both media orgs & the public."

You may be interested in

MobilesTablets Laptops
7% OFF
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
  • Black Titanium
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
28% OFF
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 5G
  • Green
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 256 GB Storage
Google Pixel 8 Pro
  • Obsidian
  • 12 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage
Apple iPhone 15 Plus
  • Black
  • 6 GB RAM
  • 128 GB Storage

He said the plan would begin next month, but provided no details on exact pricing or what cut Twitter would take.

Also read
Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here.

The announcement came as Musk has been struggling, amid frequent controversy, to make Twitter profitable.

Media organizations have wrestled for years with how to formulate subscription plans that pay their operating costs even as readers have grown accustomed to getting news free on the internet.

The Musk plan raises questions about how exactly he hopes to make the micro-payment approach work when others have failed.

British journalist James Ball listed several problems with micro-payment -- an idea, he wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review, that has "definitely occurred to major publishers across the planet."

Many readers will simply click away when encountering a paywall, he noted. And publishers "vastly" prefer to sign up full-time subscribers, which bring far more in ad revenue than the 20 cents or so from the sale of a single article.

Several people posting on Twitter raised other objections. The per-article approach, they said, could encourage a flourishing of "click bait," it might favor big publishers over small ones, and it is unclear that authors -- not just news groups -- would see any profits.

But some on Twitter reacted positively.

"Great idea," tweeted user Greg Autry. "As a frequent author in publications like Forbes, Foreign Policy, and Ad Astra I'm often frustrated when my work ends up behind a paywall that my followers aren't willing to subscribe to. This is the right solution."

And Carlos Gil, author of a book on marketing, tweeted: “Finally, a pay-per-view for news that won't make you feel like you're buying an overpriced stadium beer. Get your articles à la carte and keep your wallet happy.”

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 01 May, 11:22 IST
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS