[MediaWeek] Salon's Talbot Still Believes in Paid Content

"Four years ago, during the dotcom collapse, Salon began charging readers for access to its full array of content. Readers are still able to receive free day-passes if they agree to view an oversized advertisement.

That is something that Talbot does not expect to change anytime soon. "People say, 'Now that advertising is back, will Salon throw out the subscription model?' We all know how cyclical this business is. [The ad model] is why Salon is here. We don't want to be in the same place again.""