You know things are rough when one of your employees comes in the office and says, “Man, my mother was pretty mad we’re going to start charging for our website.”  Then follows that up with, “And she doesn’t even own a computer!” 

A few months ago Gatehouse Media announced they would partner with a company to start metering stories. 

We are in the second wave of daily papers to start this “charging” policy. 

However, many of the things you use on our website will continue to be free: the homepage, breaking news, obituaries, weather, blogs and our popular multi-media sections. 

We have a frequently-asked-questions posting on our website.  Bottom line is, after 20 views in a certain area, like entertainment, you will have to pay.  The company that is in charge of the payment will give you a warning if you’re close. 

To answer a question: No, we here at the Daily Reporter are not monitoring your activity, nor do we worry about who is posting on comments. 

If you subscribe, you get total access for $1.50 a month, if not, it’s $4.95 a month. 

An article recently quoted a Gatehouse official saying we should have been doing this from Day One.  It also mentioned we have two products, print and online.  It’s like owning two ice cream shops on the same street but you only charge for ice cream at one of them. 

A non-journalist told me once all newspapers would charge someday.  He argued that you have writers who have degrees in the subject, a company is paying them and you are buying new computers and cameras.  Why would you give this away? 

I think the old argument was, “If we don’t give it away, someone else will.” 

Over the past year, I am finding out that argument has less merit. 

There have been dozens and dozens of start up sites and blogs in this area.  Almost every business, school and organization tries a website.  But they don’t have the traffic. 

Our publisher, Oak Duke, blogged on our site we had 4.2 million page views in a year.  He’s right.  I know that number sounds crazy, but these numbers are being tracked by independent companies. 

We receive a lot of e-mails from national media who see the site and an intern at CNN in Atlanta one year from Alfred University said she laughed out loud when she was given the list of major websites she had to check for news each day and her hometown paper was listed. 

Back to the importance of our site. 

In the past year, a relationship was not official until it was “Facebook Official.” 

But now, if you leave your computer on with your Facebook logged in, you might be in a domestic relationship with your fern. 

Page 2 of 2 - It seems the social section in the Sunday paper is the only place where a relationship is still truly official. 

When it comes to breaking news, many of the blogs or websites created by your neighbors are posting updates on things they heard. 

The newspaper reports on things told to it directly from a police agency or emergency official. 

Unfortunately, the days of breaking news on the radio or local cable TV are gone, other than the morning newscasts. 

Suddenly, the newspaper website is being used more and more for breaking news on weather, road closings, school closings, and during the winter, when sporting events are canceled and changed. 

Recently, a social media news site tried to “cover” an incident in the area and posted the name of a person who was facing charges and died. 

The problem is, the person the site named was alive and well and with his family in another state. 

Social media sites still can’t deliver the news with accuracy. 

Could you imagine a blogger calling 911? 

“Hi, My name is Jim and I need the name of the deceased to put on my Facebook and Twitter feed.  I have a lot of friends and followers ... hello?  Hello?” 

It’s not easy to do. 

We know what sells papers in this area: Stories about your friends, family and neighbors, our 4-H profiles, our bi-weekly profiles “Meet a Veteran.”  We’re not ashamed we cover a lot of “fluff” things and run features, we’re proud of it. 

In the course of doing that job, things do come up.  Fatal accidents, floodings, fatal fires, murders, a rape trial ... all things that we have to watch what we’re writing to protect a victim and keep the family in mind. 

Just 10 years ago, we had a full night to sleep on how we would write that story. 

Today we have a full second. 

We’re publishing it online that quickly for you. 

Just like the print edition, I hope anything we produce is enough to keep your interest, answer questions or inspire you to write a letter to the editor or post a blog — positive or negative. 

Having a small town, local paper that is driven by news that this community inspires is a small price to pay.