Biz journal tells spokesman to buy copy of paper

Jim Romenesko is reporting on a conversation between the spokesman of the Houston school system and the Houston Business Journal.

The spokesman asked to see a copy of the story after it ran, and he was told to buy a subscription.

Romenesko writes, “Spencer, a former Houston Chronicle education reporter, was surprised to hear that.

“‘I’ve found that other media outlets that use a pay wall will email me copies of stories if they’ve used information I provided,’ he says. ‘Do the people who are quoted in news stories have a right to see those stories soon after they’ve been published in order to verify their views were accurately presented?’ (Business Journal stories are free online after 30 days.)

“Spencer sent me his email exchange with Business Journal editor B. Candace Beeke. She told him:

First, a new policy allows you to purchase just the edition in which the story ran. You can do that online by clicking on the story.

HBJ enforces this policy to protect the work we do and our intellectual property. Anyone who purchases the story or paper gets a copy that protects our licensing.

Our newsroom also is prohibited from sending out free copies of the work we do to protect the investment our readers make in receiving our products. I appreciate your understanding.

Read more here.