Why do some news sites require a log-in to view their content? Stuff, TVNZ+, ThreeNow etc

Forums › Off topic › Why do some news sites require a log-in to view their content? Stuff, TVNZ+, ThreeNow etc

frednz

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#317334 7-Oct-2024 08:48

A friend has received on her Android phone a message from Stuff reading "Please log in to continue". I suggested she uninstalled the Stuff app and reinstalled it. This seems to have removed this notice appearing, but no doubt it will reappear before long! What criteria is used before Stuff requires you to set up an account with them?

TVNZ + and ThreeNow also require a login to be able to watch their news, so can anyone tell me WHY these news sites want you to login before you can use them. Is this really necessary considering that after you have logged in you gain free access to their content?

Incidentally, the NZ Herald lets you watch a few articles for free, but you need to subscribe to their "Premium" service to be able to read their "better" articles!

The Press is another example of wanting you to subscribe to continue reading an article.

So far, the RNZ news app doesn't require a login, and its content is very good, so I now use this app more than the others.

The Spinoff is still free, but you keep getting prompts asking you to subscribe.

So, do you subscribe to any news sites and, if so, which ones?

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Geek @ Coastguard NZ
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#3293736 7-Oct-2024 08:50

Gives them an indication of how many people are using the sites etc.

Most of NZ Heralds "premium" content is available for free elsewhere.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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frednz

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#3293739 7-Oct-2024 08:55

xpd:

Gives them an indication of how many people are using the sites etc.

Most of NZ Heralds "premium" content is available for free elsewhere.

Yes, I guess it provides more information about which particular people read / watch certain items, but I guess the usefulness of this depends on whether the account details you provided are accurate, such as your age etc etc.

John19612

68 posts

Master Geek

#3293747 7-Oct-2024 09:24

I will never login in to a media website just to use the basic intended functionality of that site. I now only get the opening paragraph of pages on Stuff so it looks like I will be looking elsewhere for news. Also, as of today the regional Stuff papers have been removed as direct links and grouped as Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, North Island, South Island. It is almost as if Stuff don't want you to visit the website.

boosacnoodle

963 posts

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#3293748 7-Oct-2024 09:26

Looks like more paywalls coming to Stuff.

johno1234

2808 posts

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#3293749 7-Oct-2024 09:26

So they acquire valid email addresses which they hope to use to send annoying emails.

old3eyes

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#3293754 7-Oct-2024 09:44

boosacnoodle:

Looks like more paywalls coming to Stuff.

These leftist clowns will never get a penny out of me.

Regards,

Old3eyes

frednz

1467 posts

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Inactive user

#3293755 7-Oct-2024 09:46

boosacnoodle:

Looks like more paywalls coming to Stuff.

Here's an extract from the above page:

"You will be able to access limited content before being prompted to subscribe to access more each month. A single subscription starting from just $1.99 per week unlocks access to fantastic local content as well as puzzles and quizzes and unlimited access to The Post, The Press and Waikato Times."

So, it looks like the days of free access to Stuff news content are slowly coming to an end!

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wellygary

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#3293759 7-Oct-2024 09:57

"TVNZ + and ThreeNow also require a login to be able to watch their news, so can anyone tell me WHY these news sites want you to login before you can use them. Is this really necessary considering that after you have logged in you gain free access to their content?"

As others have mentioned, its all analytics.. it gives them a much better understanding of who is watching how much,

TVNZ in particular know that more and more advertising is movign digital, so they want to be able to offer up demographic info (even if its not guaranteed correct) to try to attract advertisers.

alasta

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#3293777 7-Oct-2024 10:40

I have a paid subscription to Newsroom, which obviously requires logging in to get behind the paywall. I also have a log in to ThreeNow but I use a throwaway email address for that so they can't spam me. I don't use any of the other sites that you mentioned.

The free to air commercial model isn't really viable any more due to Meta and Google hoovering up all the advertising revenue, so it's no surprise that media companies are moving more of their content into paid subscription territory.

eracode

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#3293782 7-Oct-2024 10:56

alasta:

I have a paid subscription to Newsroom, which obviously requires logging in to get behind the paywall. I also have a log in to ThreeNow but I use a throwaway email address for that so they can't spam me. I don't use any of the other sites that you mentioned.

I have a login for TVNZ+ and ThreeNow - because you have to, to use them. Used my usual main email address and haven’t ever had spam from either of them.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

razor2000nz

218 posts

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#3293895 7-Oct-2024 12:44

you can bypass the Stuff login request my usuing incognito/private browsing mode on desktop

Kyanar

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#3293900 7-Oct-2024 12:56

alasta:

I have a paid subscription to Newsroom, which obviously requires logging in to get behind the paywall. I also have a log in to ThreeNow but I use a throwaway email address for that so they can't spam me. I don't use any of the other sites that you mentioned.

The free to air commercial model isn't really viable any more due to Meta and Google hoovering up all the advertising revenue, so it's no surprise that media companies are moving more of their content into paid subscription territory.

Throwaway emails these days are so much easier thanks to password managers like Proton Pass. Whenever you fill in a form, it prompts you to create an @passmail.com alias that forwards to your real inbox and can be deactivated if it gets leaked. And it's from the team that made Proton Mail and Proton VPN, so you know it's privacy by design.

Aaron2222

216 posts

Master Geek

#3293958 7-Oct-2024 13:21

Kyanar:

Throwaway emails these days are so much easier thanks to password managers like Proton Pass. Whenever you fill in a form, it prompts you to create an @passmail.com alias that forwards to your real inbox and can be deactivated if it gets leaked. And it's from the team that made Proton Mail and Proton VPN, so you know it's privacy by design.

Fastmail lets you create disposable aliases on the main fastmail.com domain, which makes it much harder to block than a dedicated domain for them. Also has 1Password integration so you can create them in one click when filling out a signup form.

gehenna

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#3293959 7-Oct-2024 13:24

Mostly, it's because of this https://apnews.com/article/google-news-zealand-media-digital-bargaining-meta-26a85c5690378316d1b7e770529462b5

Aaron2222

216 posts

Master Geek

#3293961 7-Oct-2024 13:27

alasta:

The free to air commercial model isn't really viable any more due to Meta and Google hoovering up all the advertising revenue

To what extent is this actually true though? I can't speak for Meta (since I don't use Facebook), but Google News just links to the article (doesn't even show a blurb, just the headline and sometimes a picture). Granted, that does reduce ad revenue on news site's home pages (since Google News replaces that), but they still get it on the articles themselves. Or do people just read headlines these days?

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