Categories: OLD Media Moves

Chicago Biz Journal begins charging for content

The Chicago Business Journal, an online-only publication from American City Business Journals, is now charging for its content.

Editor Ed Stych writes, “Of course, like anything of value, this richer volume of stories does come with a price.

“In conjunction with this wider array of content, we’re ushering in today a subscription package for the Chicago Business Journal, priced at $99 per year. For a limited time, as part of our launch effort, you’re able to get access to the next 4 weeks of premium coverage for just $4. You can find more information about this special offer here.

“Rest assured, we do not take this step lightly. To the contrary, it’s a step we’re taking after having seen remarkable success from how readers in other cities across The Business Journals landscape have embraced this locked-down, premium content. While these publications do continue to offer select stories as free, open content — as we will in the Chicago Business Journal — their readers have shown that they value the stories that are available to subscribers only.”

Read more here. The LA Biz and the New York Business Journal, also online-only ACBJ publications, are making the same move.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.