Unassisted Trripleplay: Trib changes the wrong things

■ Tribune to start charging for online access (Columbia Daily Tribune)

The Tribune will start charging readers next month for unlimited access to its website.

Under a so-called metered model, website visitors will be able to read up to 10 local stories per month for free. Those wanting to read more will have to purchase an online subscription or buy individual stories. Also, only online subscribers will be able to comment on stories.

Here at SimmonsField.com we link and quote from the Columbia Tribune whenever thy have a story about MU Baseball, and this will make that more difficult. But I'm not motivated to start paying for it, and this isn't going to seriously impact the availability of quality free information.

1. There's not exactly a ton of ink devoted by the Trib to MU Baseball anyway. During the Fall, there seems to be an article or interview or feature every day about MU Football, and as the weekend approaches, there are multiple pieces every day. On Sundays there are no less than 4 or 5 articles analyzing the previous day's game.
   
   Most MU Baseball games are lucky to get a basic game summary, especially if its an away game. Matt Nestor (and occasionally other Trib reporters) provide somewhat more detailed game reports for many home games, and occasional features. Some of these are pretty good, and I've expressed my appreciation for Matt in my annual "Tip of the Cap" awards.
   
   But even with the good stuff, the Mizzou Baseball follower can't help feeling unappreciated by the Tribune as a whole.
   
   
2. When I think back on what were the best and most interesting stories I linked to over the past year, there were a lot more from the "new media" websites and blogs and message boards than on any newspaper site. And the hottest stories this past year (assistant coaches leaving and being replaced, MU alums in the minors and majors, recruiting information), were stories that I broke based on information from other "new media" sources and from "social networking" with other MU Baseball fans.
   
   Perhaps the Tribune should focus more on emulating the new media than on jacking up prices for the same old same old online. The traditional print media is no longer the center of the information universe.