Debates are surfacing on the transition strategies to digital publishing such as paywalls and social media. Strategies are usually characterized as a response to the democratization of distribution that increased competition and lowered barriers to entry, but there is a more fundamental disruption that occurred – the basis of monetization has changed. Digital has shifted monetization from distribution of the media to consumption of the media, which is not only a disruption, but a drop-off. In the print revenue model, a publisher could monetize delivery of advertisements by sending them in the mail and claiming impressions based on circulation and pass-alongs. In the digital revenue model, a publisher can monetize delivery of advertisements only when a visitor consumes a page [...]
