What's the Value Proposition of TPM Prime?
September 18, 2019 9:25 PM   Subscribe

Really simple: Do you have a Prime membership? Is it worth it?

I think Josh and his team over at Talking Points Memo (often linked to on the blue) do good original reporting and great recap work on the us politics shitshow. I'm considering a Prime membership but it's Pretty Spendy ($50/yr). Is the Prime tier really that much more or interesting content?
posted by j_curiouser to Media & Arts (11 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Try reframing it as a charitable contribution to enable them to continue providing the content you already appreciate and enjoy. Anything else you get on top is just a bonus.
posted by phunniemee at 9:41 PM on September 18, 2019 [16 favorites]


Best answer: I have that and the Prime-only content is worthwhile, but like phunniemee, I consider payment for that and several other sites I don't read heavily as support for others who do read them. Journalism is struggling, and any help is welcome.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:19 PM on September 18, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I subscribe/support several news sites. My views are split into charitable contributions, supporting journalism, and the belief that everything doesn’t have to be free.

And yes, am a subscriber at TPM. And yes, the extra content is worth it. I like watching Josh Marshall think it through.
posted by lemon_icing at 3:36 AM on September 19, 2019 [3 favorites]


Best answer: I rarely find time to read TPM, but I have been meaning to subscribe just to support them. If you can afford it and read the site at all, I think it's worth it just to keep independent journalism / content alive. I think I'm going to do that right now, actually.
posted by jzb at 3:51 AM on September 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: I pay for Prime, and like others have said, I consider it a contribution to pay for good journalism at an outlet that seems to be trying its best to treat its employees well.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 4:23 AM on September 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Pretty much what everyone else said.

I don't necessarily notice what is and is not Prime material, except when I'm reading the site from a different computer that isn't logged in. But even if there were no additional content, I'd pay. Fifty bucks a year is *nothing* compared to the value of the original reporting on the site. And yeah, Josh really seems to be trying to do right not just as a journalist, but as a boss as well - the reporters unionized, and he supported it.
posted by notsnot at 5:07 AM on September 19, 2019 [2 favorites]


Best answer: nthing others above - I do it because it feels like doing my part to support journalism and specifically to support a new and hopefully more sustainable model for internet news.
posted by eirias at 6:02 AM on September 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Phunniemee nails it. I signed up because I'm a longtime reader of TPM, and I enjoy their work. I wanted to support their mission.
posted by uberchet at 6:15 AM on September 19, 2019 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Nthing the above.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 6:24 AM on September 19, 2019 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Beyond the supporting independent journalism bit, I find TPM Prime quite worth it. My only frustration with it is not being able to point friends to paywalled articles.
posted by mistersix at 10:15 AM on September 19, 2019 [2 favorites]


Best answer: Try reframing it as a charitable contribution to enable them to continue providing the content you already appreciate and enjoy. Anything else you get on top is just a bonus

Me too on this.

I consume a lot of TPM content and feel like it's fair that I shell out.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 2:21 PM on September 19, 2019 [1 favorite]


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