As a quick counterpoint: I'm curious how much you pay directly for the quality writing/journalism/investigative reporting that you consume each day? So far, journalism knows only two business models: direct sales or ad revenue. The first is dying/dead, and until someone invents a new business model for content producers, expect this to be the new reality moving forward.
I pay for my digital newspaper subscription. I pay to read stories (McSweeney's Small Chair) online. I use the tip jar on blogs I like and I buy their merchandise. I'm also planning to get into Kindle Singles [1] (I just don't like Amazon's proprietary ebook format, I'm hoping another etailer comes up with something similar using ePub).
So no, I don't think direct sales are dead and I'm willing to pay not to see ads.
Well, good thing that these businesses know that Samuel_Michon is just one data point, and what he does doesn't necessarily reflect the majority of the market.
Not every business chases the majority of the market, and aforementioned businesses do just fine. I'm convinced there's always money to be made offering quality content, without having to rely solely on selling ad space.
Probably true, but the money to be made is probably less than what can be made by catering to the 80% of people who buy supermarket tabloids and are influenced enough by the ads therein to drive the ad supported economy...
