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• Paying for news: Why people subscribe and what it says about the future of journalism

This research was conducted by the Media Insight Project — an initiative of the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

Introduction

The future of journalism will increasingly depend on consumers paying for the news directly, as content distributors like Facebook and Google take up the lion’s share of digital advertising dollars.

The Media Insight Project, a collaboration of the American Press Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, has undertaken what we believe is one of the largest efforts ever to understand who subscribes to news, what motivates them, and how creators of journalism can engage more deeply with consumers so more people will subscribe.

This, the first report in that series, is based on in-depth formative interviews with news consumers in three cities and a nationally representative survey, informed by those interviews, of 2,199 American adults conducted between February 16 and March 20, 2017.

The study finds that slightly more than half of all U.S. adults subscribe to news in some form—and roughly half of those to a newspaper.

And contrary to the idea that young people will not pay for news because information on the internet is free, nearly 4 in 10 adults under age 35 are paying for news.

There is also substantial evidence that more consumers could begin to pay for news in the future—if publishers can understand them and serve them well. Half of those who do not pay for news actively seek out news and resemble subscribers in various ways. And nearly 2 in 10 of those who don’t subscribe to news now indicate they are inclined to begin to pay in the future.

Most subscribers see themselves as primarily print-oriented or digitally oriented—only 4 percent describe themselves as a combination of print and digital.

Taken together, the findings carry a number of implications about how publishers should proceed—including that they must pursue a dual strategy of both print and digital for the foreseeable future, and that, even as newsrooms contract, they must improve coverage in key areas of specialization.

This study is designed to answer some fundamental questions facing the news industry. Among them: Who pays for news? Why do they pay? Who does not pay for news and why not? What are the paths publishers can take to more deeply engage readers and to persuade news consumers to pay for journalism directly? What price points matter? The answers may shape what journalism looks like in the future.

To get answers, the survey asks several general questions about how and why people use the news in the first place. We then ask a set of questions to determine whether people pay for certain types of news sources. We asked people to name the sources they use most often—whether they pay for them or not—how they use them, the specific things they consider important about them, and some related questions about the cost and value of that source.

Among the key findings:

• How many people pay for news? In all, 53 percent of Americans pay for news, including subscribing to newspapers or magazines, paying for news apps, or donating to public media. This number does not include those who pay for cable TV bundles that could include news channels.
• Do young people pay for news? Fully 37 percent of the youngest adults, 18 to 34 years old, subscribe to news. The two youngest age cohorts who pay (18-34 and 35-49) also behave differently than older subscribers. They are motivated more by a desire to support the news organization’s mission. About two-thirds of them who use Facebook use it several times a day (compared with half of older subscribers), and many say that discovering a news source through social media was a key factor in deciding to pay for it.
• What value do people see in news? People are drawn to news in general for two reasons above others: A desire to be informed citizens (newspaper subscribers in particular are highly motivated by this) and because the publication they subscribe to excels at covering certain topics about which those subscribers particularly care.
• Why do people choose to subscribe? While there are a host of reasons, the No. 1 cited (by more than 4 in 10 subscribers) was that the publication they pay for excels at covering certain topics about which they particularly care. More than 4 in 10 also cite the fact that friends and family subscribe to the same product. More than a third of people say they originally subscribed in response to a discount or promotion. In print, people also are moved heavily to subscribe to get coupons that save them money, something that has untapped implications in digital.
• Who does not pay for their news? Of those who do not pay for news at all, many resemble subscribers in a variety of ways. About half are “news seekers,” meaning they actively seek out news rather than primarily bumping into it in a more passive way, though the news that nonpayers are seeking (for now, at least) is often about national politics. Like subscribers, many of these people also get news multiple times a day, use the news in ways similar to subscribers, and are interested in similar topics, including foreign or international news. Nonpayers, though, generally see news as a little less valuable in their lives and think that there is plenty of free content available.
• What are the opportunities for growth? We asked everyone who told us they have a regular free source of news how likely they would be to pay for it. More than a quarter (26 percent) say they would be at least somewhat likely to begin paying for it—and 10 percent are very or extremely likely. These likely payers tend to be news seekers, and they also tend to be people who already pay for a news subscription in addition to the source they follow for free. Nonpayers are also price sensitive: most are willing to pay no more than $1 a week.
• Who pays for newspapers, in particular? Of those who do pay, 54 percent subscribe to newspapers in print or digitally, which represents 29 percent of Americans overall. Most of them buy a print magazine along with their newspaper and pay for two to four news sources in total, some even more. And while 53 percent are long-time subscribers (5+ years), more than a quarter (27 percent) have purchased their newspaper subscription within the past year. Newspaper subscribers especially value information about specific topics of interest and are more likely than others to value news that helps them be a better citizen and gives them something to discuss with friends and family. In other words, for newspaper subscribers, news is a form of social flow, and strong social engagement through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—both listening to readers and responding to them—is important.
• Do people pay for print, digital, or both? Subscribers divide largely into two camps—58 percent who view themselves as primarily print consumers and 28 percent who view themselves as primarily digital. Only 4 percent see themselves as blended between both mediums, though a sizable minority of print-oriented subscribers also engage digitally, including on social media. Few print subscribers think it likely they will switch to a digital-only subscription in the future, and more than half of those who prefer digital have never paid for a print version of the same source.
• Newspaper subscribers in particular describe themselves as print-oriented. Fully 75 percent of newspaper payers say they primarily read the paper in print, while 21 percent are mostly digital users, and 4 percent describe themselves as evenly split. Newspaper subscribers who prefer print tend to be older and long-time readers, while those who prefer digital tend to be younger with less experience with an outlet. However, even the print-minded newspaper subscribers exhibit a fair amount of digital usage. As an example, in substantial numbers print subscribers also share content and visit their source’s website; smaller but still sizable numbers even follow it on social media, use its app, receive text alerts, and subscribe to email newsletters. Meanwhile, digital payers engage with sources in many of these ways more often than print payers. In short, even though print dominates among newspaper subscribers, the future of newspapers depends on winning over more young digital readers, while maintaining ties to the existing print readers. A single strategy, or a failure to develop a dual strategy, is likely ill fated.

Implications for publishers

These key overall findings have a number of implications for publishers and the future of journalism.

• Specialization and expertise. Even as newsrooms contract, they should focus on identifying and investing in centers of coverage excellence—including around civic issues—or they may provide no compelling reason for people to subscribe. News payers are highly motivated by being a fully informed citizen (particularly among higher-income people) and by getting expert coverage of a particular subject that matters to them (particularly among higher-educated people).
• Focus on the “news seekers.” Publishers must find ways to identify and then engage news seekers who look like subscribers but currently do not pay. Seventy-two percent of these people get news on social media, and about 1 in 3 say they would be at least a little likely to pay for the source they now use for free. In general, these nonpaying news seekers tend to follow news much like subscribers do, and just as often. It is critical to identify them, try to understand them, and then reach out to them at the right moment.
• Leverage the power of coupons in digital. While it has not fully developed online and in mobile, publishers should more robustly pursue a strategy of moving coupons into digital, and particularly mobile formats, as part of their subscription strategies. Print subscribers often cite coupons as one of the benefits they value, but digital audiences are not as well-served.
• How to reach young subscribers. Younger generations will pay for news—but publishers must understand that these relationships begin through friends’ referrals and social media and are strengthened through frequent engagement and interaction. For younger audiences to be willing to pay, they must bond with your mission and purpose.
• When a reader’s lifestyle changes, take advantage. Publishers can target people at certain life stages—moments when they are ripe to become subscribers. Among those 18-34 years old, many say they began paying for a source because they recently became able to afford it—perhaps upon getting a new job or promotion. Among payers age 65 and older, many say they started paying because they suddenly had more time to spend with news—perhaps upon retirement. Smart publishers can target their marketing outreach to people hitting these life stages.
• Much news is underpriced. People who currently pay for a subscription tend to think it is relatively inexpensive. Most think the price they pay is a very good or fair value. Only 1 in 10 people think their subscription costs too much for what they get. Digital subscribers in particular are more likely than print subscribers to feel they are getting a very good value (48 percent vs. 32 percent), suggesting they might be more willing to pay more than they are now.
• News payers demand quality over cheapness. Those who pay for news are attracted to their paid source because it helps them stay informed and covers issues they care about well. Their sources provide news and information they care about in an easily-accessible way, and they rate them as highly reliable. And they value the exclusive content they get, more so than other auxiliary benefits like giveaways from the organization. Subscribers are clearly signaling that publishers cannot cost-cut their way to growth — attracting subscribers requires investment in premium news content and focusing on audience needs.

Share with your network

• About the study
• Who pays for news in general and why
• Newspaper subscribers vs. other types of subscribers
• Who does not pay for news
• “Seekers” vs. “Bumpers” and a potential target for news organizations
• Print vs. digital subscribers: Demographic differences and paths to subscription
• Price and paying for news
• How do younger news payers differ from older news payers?

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Issue of Paid news

Note4Students

Making paid news an electoral offence has been demanded from long. Paid news plays an important role in influencing the voters. The Election Commission’s order disqualifying Madhya Pradesh Minister Narottam Mishra for three years is an important step in curbing ‘paid news’.

• The Election Commission (EC) has disqualified a Minister for three years for filing wrong accounts of election expenditure.
• The membership has been revoked under section 10A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

What is paid news?

• According to Press Council of India, paid news is “any news or analysis appearing in any media (print & electronic) for a price in cash or kind as consideration”. 
• It refers to propaganda in favour of a candidate masquerading as news reports or articles for a price in cash or kind as consideration. The news is much like an advertisement, but without the ‘ad tag’.

Is paid news an electoral offence?

• Paid news is not an electoral offence yet in India, but there is a case to make it one.
• However, the EC has recommended that the Representation of the People Act, 1951, be amended to make the publishing or abetting the publishing, of paid news to further a candidate’s prospects or prejudicially affect another’s an electoral offence.

Negatives of paid news:

• Affects people’s thinking and opinion:

This kind of news has been considered a serious malpractice since it deceives the citizens, not letting them know that the news is, in fact an advertisement and affecting people’ s rational thinking and opinion.

• Display of money power :

The payment modes usually violate tax laws and election spending laws. It displays the role of money in elections.

• Hits the bottom of democracy:

Such news play a significant role in influencing voting tendency of voters as the viewer does not get a correct picture of the personality or performance of the candidate in whose favour or against he decides to cast his vote. This destroys the very essence of the democracy.

• Affects free and fair elections:

Such practices interfere with free and fair elections in the country by violating democratic principle enshrined in our constitution.

• Curbs the faith of people in media:

Media is described as the fourth pillar of democracy. Such incidents bring down the faith of people in democratic institutions by conveying incorrect and false information to the people.

Reasons for rise in paid news:  

• The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology in its 47th report on the “Issues Related to Paid News” has identified corporatization of media, desegregation of ownership and editorial roles, decline in autonomy of editors/journalists due to emergence of contract system and poor wage levels of journalists as key reasons for the rise in the incidence of paid news. 
• Besides these, lack of adequate powers available with regulators, lack of effective penal action against those who violate the rules and inaction by the government in cases related to paid news are also important reasons for rise in incidents of paid news.

Election Commission Guidelines to Curb Paid News

• All state Chief Electoral Officers will have to obtain a list of all TV and radio channels and newspapers in the state as well as their standard advertisement rate cards six months before the term of the Lok Sabha or the State Legislative Assembly expires.
• Setting up of Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) at district and state level which will have to monitor all political advertisements in relation to candidates.
• The committee will intimate the Returning Officer for issue of notices to candidates for inclusion of notional expenditure based on standard rate cards in their election expenses account, “even if they actually do not pay any amount to the channel/newspaper, that is otherwise the case with paid news.”
• The expenditure will also include publicity for a candidate by a “star campaigner” or others, to impact his electoral prospects.

Challenges in dealing with paid news

• There is circumstantial evidence, but little proof. Establishing transaction of cash or kind is indeed not very easy, as it is usually done without any record and promptly denied by both sides, when enquired. Identifying the cases is a herculean task.
• Media violations, surrogate advertisement and unreported advertisements are often mistaken as Paid News sometimes in true cases.
• It is difficult to identify and solve the cases in a set time limit. The cases keep on pending for a long period of time before the courts.
• The independence of the media and its ability to bring about transparency in society by playing an adversarial role against the establishment get compromised because of corruption within the folds of the media itself and it is usually difficult to fix the accountability in such cases.

  Way forward

To curb such incidents in future, it is necessary to make ‘paid News’ an electoral offence through amendment of Representation of the People Act, 1951. The expenditure ceilings prescribed by Election Commission should be strictly adhered to by political parties and candidates. The people should be sensitized by creating awareness among them and seeking partnership with all stakeholders, including political parties and media.

  Conclusion

• The media acts as a repository of public trust for conveying correct and true information to the people. The “paid news” is therefore, a serious matter as it influences the functioning of a free press. There is an urgent need to protect the right of the public to accurate information before voters exercise their franchise when such incidents are on rise.
• Hence, a legal framework in which electoral issues are expeditiously adjudicated must be put in place if election laws are to be enforced in both letter and spirit.

http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-the-menace-of-paid-news-election-commission-narottam-mishra-madhya-pradesh-minsiter-2008-assembly-elections-4755328/

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/pay-to-publish/article19165976.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/Paid-news-a-deep-seated-malaise/article16838453.ece

http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/the-menace-of-paid-news-116050800630_1.html

Q.1) The Election Commission’s order disqualifying a minister in the Madhya Pradesh government for three years is an important step in curbing ‘paid news’ in the electoral arena. Do you think ‘paid news’ should be considered as an electoral offence? Substantiate. 

Q.2) With the increase in incidents of paid news across the country and the involvement of political leaders and political parties in such cases, discuss what are the challenges in dealing with paid news? Do you think EC should make paid news an electoral offence? Critically comment. What are the

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Journalists Getting Paid: How Online Platforms Are Boosting Income for Writers

Even in a downturn, journalists are finding success with paid newsletters, texting, patronage and more

In a time of decline for American news, beset by losses due to the pandemic and internal strife from the racial justice reckoning, some online platforms are offering up compensation for journalists who are savvy subject matter experts. Tiny Letter and Substack have created a boom of “single operator newsletters,” while Subtext lets reporters create subscription text services for those who really want the inside scoop. And patronage services led by Patreon let fans kick in one-time or monthly payments to support their favorite writers.

Coming on strong is the new social network Voice , with $150 million in funding, and a goal of authenticating all its users to remove trolls, bots and other bad actors. Voice is working to entice journalists and local online news outlets to join its platform, with the promise of a blockchain token that is awarded from engagement metrics. Of course, counting on the community to police users can go terribly right (Wikipedia) or terribly wrong (AOL).

In any case, the stage is set for independent journalists and even staff reporters to look into creating “side hustles” or even full-time businesses if they build up enough fans and paying subscribers by offering unique, insightful content. And with the pandemic, we have a lot more time on our hands for reading the plethora of great independent publications.

Newsletter Boom

Email newsletters are the cockroaches of the internet age. No matter how many new technologies and platforms and formats are launched, our inboxes continue to get inundated with newsletters. And many aren’t that bad! TinyLetter is the home of many boutique newsletters, limited to 5,000 subscribers and with no cost and few analytics. Once it was bought by MailChimp, writers realized that if they wanted more subscribers and features, they would have to move to the more costly (and marketing focused) MailChimp.

In stepped Substack, another relatively simple service that also offered an option to charge subscribers, while only charging writers a 10% cut of their subscription fees. If your newsletter is free, then you don’t have to pay anything to Substack, no matter how large your list gets. Featured writers include Sam Irby (“books/snacks/softcore”), Azeem Azhar (technology and the future) and investigative reporter Matt Taibbi . 

Hamish McKenzie, co-founder of Substack, wouldn’t tell me the number of newsletters they host, but said total paid subscribers are north of 100,000 and counting. One of the attractions of the service is the resources they provide for writers, along with video workshops and even a podcast that highlights top writers. While not everyone will have the breakout success of environmental writer Emily Atkin and her “six-figure income” from paid newsletters, there’s the chance for some modest income. 

As tech and media journalist Simon Owens said on his own Substack newsletter, “I think we’re going to see more and more creators come to view it as the equivalent of an ‘anchor client.’ What’s an anchor client? It’s a freelancer term for the client that provides the most consistent work every month. It’s the fallback security that makes freelancing life possible.”

Substack’s Mackenzie said that the best marketing is with the writing itself. Start with a free newsletter and build an audience. “That work demonstrates their voice, worldview, and quality of thought to the largest possible audience, and it gives the largest number of people the opportunity to fall in love – over time, those who fall in love will pay to subscribe to hear more from you,” he said.

Educator and scientist Amber Schmidtke is a good example of a writer who took advantage of Substack to convert her expertise on COVID-19 in Georgia into a freemium service where people can get a free daily newsletter, but pay for extras like a live Q&A Zoom session and additional analysis. She told me she had been using Patreon, but decided to move everything over to Substack to simplify the process. In just a few months, she has nearly 20,000 followers on Facebook and 10,000 newsletter subscribers. 

“Substack was much more hands-on with tips for me,” Schmidtke said. “I never had anyone reach out from Patreon, but I didn’t expect anyone to say anything. I’m not an IT person, my job is data analysis. So I just wanted to focus on the content. Substack helps pay the bills. Fiona Monga, [head of writer partnerships] at Substack, helped me go through calculations for my ‘bingo number’ in order to match my previous full-time income. It was doable. Based on conversion rates, she said it looks like I could attain that if 10% of my audience becomes paid.”

Texting for Dollars

For a long time, people viewed commercial texting as profane, an intrusion into a very personal space. But thanks (or no thanks) to everything from politician texting to emergency alerts, we’re now used to getting less personal texts. And that helped a new texting service called Subtext gain prominence among journalists who could purvey vital news via text to paying subscribers. Subtext has run a bilingual text campaign in West Dallas for the Advocate Magazine, as well as a Spanish language campaign in Ventura County, Calif., for community organizers.

But probably the most popular text service on Subtext is from Mission Local managing editor Joe Eskenazi , covering San Francisco politics. He charges $1 per week to subscribers, and is up to nearly 350 subscribers. They get a text with breaking news or analysis each weekday, and he’s now sent more than 500 texts. Subscribers can respond via text directly to Joe, which helps him gather more tips while building engagement. He famously broke the news on to his text subscribers that London Breed had won the San Francisco mayoral election in 2019.

“The limitation is it’s a text message, and you have to be convivial even though the topic might be tough,” Eskenazi told me. “You are working fast so you have to balance the need for accuracy… The texts aren’t edited [before going out].”

Eskenazi said that his bosses at Mission Local are fine with him doing the texting service for added income, and he makes sure not to scoop his own publication. He’s suggested Subtext to fellow reporters, especially those where he would like to read their insider take on the news.

“I have suggested that people do it, but it’s a commitment,” he said. “I couldn’t have done this as a younger reporter without the institutional knowledge of the city. I wouldn’t begin to think I could get people’s attention without knowledge of it. It could work for a beat writer for the San Francisco Giants or Oakland A’s. It’s for insiders. This is the rare book library.”

Journalists realize they have that rare inside take on a topic that is truly valuable for people in that industry, which means they will pay for it.

Another idea is the journalist teaming up with their publication for a Subtext publication. That’s what happened in Baltimore , where Technical.ly Baltimore assistant editor Stephen Babcock, who writes the Baltimorning newsletter, jointly launched “Texting Baltimore” recently with Technical.ly. It will be a way for Babcock to monetize his side project, while also keeping his employer happy.

“Being a reporter, I’ve always toyed with an idea about what would be a good revenue path,” Babcock told me. “It’s a way for my newsletter subscribers to raise their hand and say ‘I support this work.’ The newsletter is still free. I believe in the internet as a free distribution aspect is important. At the same time, I think journalists should think about the business and how to create new business models.”

So far, they’ve had some early text subscribers and Babcock hopes to convert a mix of Baltimorning and Technical.ly subscribers to his text service, which will focus on breaking news and conversations about the changes happening in the city. His overall goals are upgrading to MailChimp for his newsletter and possibly hiring someone to help out.

Finding Your Patrons

In 2008, Wired editor Kevin Kelly wrote an essay about how creatives just need to find “1000 True Fans” to support their work so they can make a living. That idea of identifying your super-fans or patrons has bubbled up into various services such as Patreon, PressPatron and Pico . Those fans will typically be willing to pay monthly fees, sometimes with the promise of getting exclusive or timely content, one-on-one video sessions with the journalist, or other special perks. (Here’s a nice roundup of perks that Patreon journalists have offered their patrons.)

Building your fan base can take some time, through hard work covering a topic and sharpening your expertise. And sometimes the fan base can grow from being in the right place at the right time. That’s the case with Capitol Hill Seattle blog , run by publisher Justin Carder, as the neighborhood became the center of the social justice protests, including the controversial Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) . 

“I’ve never seen more recognition of our work and desire to support the site than I have this summer,” Carder told me. “The coverage of the protests – people really valued it…Plus the site’s been around long enough so I have a good relationship with freelancers. We were able to throw the weight of journalism at this, and we were ahead of other news outlets, and we’ve covered protests in the past. And now there’s more support and money to pay for journalists.”

Carder long had the goal of getting to 1,000 patrons, and he’s nearly made it now with 966 paid supporters. Carder went with Patreon because it was an established brand that he figured would be around longer than newer platforms. He did say there have been issues, like when Patreon had a data breach in 2015 exposing the personal information of 2.3 million users. Carder also noted that it takes a pretty large audience to get enough people to start paying.

“If you need to get 1000 subscribers, you better have 10,000 readers,” he said. “The audience has to be much bigger than the paying group. It’s been painfully clear that the wall to jump over, that bridge to cross to get someone to put in their credit card information — that’s a big leap for a reader to make.”

Amber Schmidtke, who runs the “COVID-19 in Georgia” newsletter, noted that Patreon does offer more community engagement than she has found on Substack so far. One issue she had with Patreon was that you have to choose whether people can pay a one-time fee or monthly fees, but not both. PressPatron, by comparison, allows both types of input for paying fans. 

“With Patreon, it was a little more like a semi-private setup, where you could have conversations with people,” Schmidtke said. “It felt more like a VIP room.”

The Token Approach

For journalists and creators who are willing to take a chance with a brand new platform there’s Voice, the new social platform from Block.one, a company that raised $4 billion in 2018 from an initial coin offering (ICO) of crypto tokens before even having a live product. The company is pumping $150 million into the Voice platform, which aims to authenticate all users and keep trolls and bots at bay.

“It’s called ‘Human Sign-Up’ that we developed,” said Voice CEO Salah Zalatimo. “So in less than 90 seconds we can verify you are human and unique. You can only ever have one account on Voice, and we use advanced 3D imagery to help verify users.”

More than that, Voice would like to create a new incentive platform for local journalists and writers, where they receive blockchain tokens based on engagement such as likes and shares. Each day the platform highlights a top contributor.

Of course, publishers recently experienced the excitement and failure of a similar blockchain venture, Civil, so might be a little wary about jumping in with a new tech venture. Zalatimo says that while both startups are blockchain-based, “our efforts and business models end there — they pursued a noble objective in removing fake news, but they were pursuing a purely journalistic endeavor while we are building a destination and social platform.”

Zalatimo says that they are working with associations such as LION Publishers to identify potential digital local news outlets that are interested in putting writers and content on Voice. At first that might just involve syndicating existing content via RSS feeds, but eventually the goal is get publishers to move completely onto Voice, getting paid in Voice tokens based on engagement. One of the barriers is that Voice tokens can’t yet be sold on the open market, and won’t be of much value until there is a massive amount of users on the platform.

So why would a publisher try out a new untested platform? 

“There are several compelling reasons for it and the top one is SEO [search engine optimization],” Zalatimo said. “I come from a publisher that’s the single strongest publisher with SEO and that’s Forbes. Once you figure it out, it works. The challenge of that is that search is half the traffic, so no matter what you do, the traffic is coming to you. The top result gets 60% of clicks, and there’s no way that a newspaper in a small town will ever show up in search results like that.”

Zalatimo has also hired local media consultant Chris Hendricks , who has been doing outreach to small, medium and large publishers and hopes to announce some who are coming to Voice within the next few weeks. So far, the content that’s most popular on Voice is about blockchain topics or Voice itself. The app is still invite-only but expects to open up more widely soon.

Picking the Right Platform

In the end, journalists will need to test out the various platforms to find out what works for their publication (or their own side hustle), and which ones will provide the least friction for bringing in revenues. As the shift continues from advertising to reader-supported revenues, there are more options for journalists and writers to get paid for their work. And what they really want is to concentrate on doing their important journalism, and not having to worry as much about the technology behind payment systems. So whether it’s Substack for newsletters, Subtext for texting, Patreon for gathering patrons or Voice for getting crypto tokens, there are a lot of avenues to pursue.

Mark Glaser is a consultant and advisor with a focus on supporting local and independent news in America. He was the founder and executive director of MediaShift.org, and is an associate at Dot Connector Studio.

Photo (top) by Simon Abrams on Unsplash

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3) What is Paid news? Discuss the reasons for rise in paid news in India and also suggest solutions to the menace of paid news.(250 words)

Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation, Media

Why this question:  Recently Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar informed Rajya Sabha about the steps being taken by the Government to curb the menace of Paid News. Key demand of the question: The answer must discuss the context and reasons for rise in paid news and one must suggest solutions to curb the problems of this paid news. Directive: Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments. Structure of the answer: Introduction:  Define what is paid news. Body: Paid news is defined as any news or analysis appearing in print or electronic media for consideration in cash or kind. Manifestations of paid news are:  Advertisements camouflaged as news, Denial of coverage to select electoral candidates, exchanging of advertisement space for equity stakes between media houses and corporate. Explain the recent trends witnessed in terms of paid news in India. What are the various counter measures to overcome the challenge of paid news? Conclusion: Conclude with solutions.

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Don’t Be Fooled By Trump’s Failure to Endorse a Nationwide Abortion Ban

F ormer President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he favors state control over abortion law and policy and declined to endorse a nationwide ban. He also claimed that the Supreme Court’s overturning of  Roe v. Wade  in  Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization  was favored by “all legal scholars” on “both sides.” Abortion is “where everybody wanted it, from a legal standpoint,” according to Trump.

All of this is patently false, of course. Decades of legal scholarship and advocacy support the federal constitutional right to abortion that Dobbs eliminated. Some scholars who support legal abortion as a matter of policy have criticized the result the Court reached in  Roe , but they are in the minority. Others have critiqued the  reasoning  of  Roe v. Wade . Some, like Ruth Bader Ginsburg , prefer the equality rationale of  Planned Parenthood v. Casey   (1992), where the Court noted the central importance of reproductive freedom to women’s ability to participate fully and equally in the social, political, and economic life of the nation. But the notion that all or most legal scholars wanted the Court to obliterate the right to choose abortion is ludicrous.

No one should be fooled by Trump’s failure to endorse any of the proposed nationwide abortion bans, a move designed to appear “moderate” and lull voters into a false sense of complacency. Make no mistake: a second Trump administration will empower an anti-abortion movement determined to make abortion illegal everywhere. Even if Republicans do not take over Congress, there are plans in place to make medication abortion unavailable and to resurrect the 1873 Comstock Act, an archaic anti-vice law, to ban abortion nationwide. Proponents of fetal personhood, which defines an embryo as a legal person from the moment of fertilization, will be closer to realizing their goal, threatening not only abortion and miscarriage care but also IVF and common forms of contraception. Trump promotes the grotesque lie that Democrats want to “execute babies” to distract from his own party’s extremism.

Trump peddles these false and misleading claims because he understands that the truth about abortion endangers his candidacy and Republicans generally. Far from ending the controversy, returning abortion to the states already has led to outcomes wildly out of step with public opinion. Doctors and hospitals routinely deny patients basic medical care, including miscarriage treatment, because they are not close enough to death to have their rights outweigh those of an embryo or fetus. State laws with no or ineffective exceptions force children, survivors of rape and incest, and people with nonviable fetuses to carry pregnancies regardless of the consequences to their health and future fertility. Maternal health deserts multiply because doctors fear criminal and civil liability. Abortion bans exacerbate a maternal and infant mortality crisis that makes pregnancy a mortal danger to American women— especially Black women , who are almost three times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth than their white counterparts.

Read More: How Louisiana Has Become a Microcosm of the Abortion Access Fight

Even people with qualms about abortion in theory don’t favor these horrific results in fact. Recent polling from Gallup and Axios respectively reveals supermajority popular opposition to total and near-total bans on abortion, and majority support , even among Republicans, for keeping the government out of reproductive health care decisions altogether. Every ballot initiative since Dobbs has been resolved in favor of abortion rights and access. In fact, abortion motivates Americans to turn out and vote for candidates who support reproductive freedom.

Perhaps the most pernicious of Trump’s lies is that returning abortion to the states is a victory for democracy. Depriving people of the right to make the most basic decisions about their bodies and lives is deeply undemocratic and a hallmark of authoritarian regimes worldwide. Extreme abortion bans and fetal personhood laws pass  despite  popular opposition because of unchecked partisan gerrymandering that gives Republicans supermajorities. Even the most conservative lawmakers live in fear of a primary challenge from the right if they support any exceptions, however minor and ineffective, to total abortion bans. Trump says abortion law after Dobbs is “all about the will of the people.” But in fact, Republicans are scrambling to take decisions about abortion out of the people’s hands by preventing referenda from reaching the ballot, protecting state courts that defy public opinion from accountability for their decisions, and disenfranchising voters.

The GOP has long used abortion to secure the support of voters to promote a much broader right-wing agenda. Trump, as promised, packed the federal judiciary with jurists who would destroy the government’s ability to regulate corporations, combat climate change and political corruption, enact sensible gun-safety laws, provide for affordable health care, expand opportunities for women and people of color, fight discrimination, protect the rights of workers and immigrants, ask the wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes, and so on. The problem is that a majority of Americans actually support each of the policies the Right is determined to undo. To remain in power, Republicans must undermine democratic institutions and practices. Partisan and racial gerrymandering, voter suppression, and the evisceration of campaign finance regulation and voting rights laws are longstanding strategies; more recently, election denialism, insurrection, political violence, and white supremacist resurgence—all fomented by Trump—place democracy and the rule of law in mortal danger. All of this is at stake in Trump’s ultimate lie: his claim to be a champion of democracy rather than the architect of its demise.

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What Happened to Damages That O.J. Simpson Owed to the Victims’ Families?

In 1997, a jury in a civil trial awarded the families of Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson $33 million. Today, the amount still owed has more than tripled.

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By Anna Betts

More than 25 years ago, O.J. Simpson was found liable in civil court for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, her friend, and was ordered to pay more than $33 million to their families.

They have yet to recover the damages.

While it is still unclear where things stand with the Brown Simpson family, the Goldman family said its pursuit will not end despite the death of Mr. Simpson on Wednesday. David Cook, a lawyer for Fred Goldman, Ronald’s father, said in an interview on Saturday that he could not elaborate on their plans to acquire the money, but that “the judgment will be pursued as before.” In a previous email, Mr. Cook said that Mr. Simpson “died without penance.” Mr. Goldman could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Simpson was acquitted of the murders of Ms. Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in the 1995 criminal trial, but the civil jury in 1997 concluded that he “willingly and wrongfully” caused their deaths, and the unanimous decision included $25 million in punitive damages.

Of the total, according to court documents filed in 2022, the Goldman family had received from Mr. Simpson around $132,000.

It was unclear if that figure reflected money from the auctioning of Mr. Simpson’s memorabilia, including his Heisman Trophy, which went toward the damages. Proceeds from the book Mr. Simpson wrote, “If I Did It” — in which he described, in hypothetical terms, how the brutal stabbings of Ms. Brown Simpson and Mr. Goldman might have occurred — also went toward the damages.

It was also unknown on Saturday how much of the damages the Brown Simpson family had recovered. Mr. Cook declined to respond to specific questions about the money the Goldman family received. But the total is still a fraction of what is owed.

Because of annual 10 percent increases in interest on the unpaid portion, the current amount owed now stands at $114 million, Mr. Cook said.

On Friday, Mr. Simpson’s will was filed in Clark County court in Nevada. Signed on Jan. 25, it places Mr. Simpson’s property in a trust.

Malcolm LaVergne, a longtime attorney for Mr. Simpson who was appointed as the executor of his estate, said that he has legal experts and accountants advising him on the estate and that they will examine all of the claims, only one of which involves the Goldmans.

Mr. LaVergne said he believed Mr. Simpson had previous debts to the Internal Revenue Service of “a few hundred thousand dollars” but did not provide additional details.

He said he would pay amounts to the Goldman family and others if the advisers concluded that they were required. But he added that if there was a way to deal legally with the estate with the Goldmans getting nothing, that “will be the option” he chooses.

Mr. LaVergne is also helping the family with other matters. Mr. Simpson will be cremated on Tuesday, he said, and plans for a funeral have not been decided. Mr. LaVergne also said that he had received a call from a researcher studying chronic traumatic encephalopathy , a degenerative brain disease associated with repeated blows to the head that has been found in the brains of hundreds of former N.F.L. players. But Mr. LaVergne said the family will not be donating Mr. Simpson’s brain for C.T.E. study.

Recovering any of the damages from Mr. Simpson has always been an arduous task for the Goldman family. After the civil trial, Mr. Simpson insisted he had no way of paying the amount. Christopher Melcher, a lawyer in California who specializes in family law and who is not involved in any legal matters related to Mr. Simpson, said that there were limits to how much of someone’s wages could be garnished in such a judgment.

Mr. Simpson paid so little, he added, “because he denied having any sources of income or property from which the judgment could be collected.”

In 2000, Mr. Simpson moved to Florida, where under local law his home could not be seized by debtors, and he continued to receive pensions from the N.F.L., the Screen Actors Guild and other sources, about $400,000 a year, which were also protected from seizure.

In 2006, Fred Goldman told The Times that he was enraged by the idea that Mr. Simpson had avoided responsibility for the jury award. “How else can it be said?” he asked, adding that “He’s made every effort to avoid that judgment.”

But Mr. Melcher said that the judgment itself, even without the payment, was not without an impact.

“The judgment was really a debtor’s prison,” he said. “It was to haunt him for the rest of his life, to keep him from ever having anything, making anything, without fearing that Fred Goldman would be right there to collect that dollar.”

Claims on a person’s estate can take a while, Mr. Melcher said, pointing at the estate of Michael Jackson, who died in 2009 , whose estate has not yet been closed.

The Goldman family will continue to wait. But according to a statement Mr. Goldman made immediately after the civil trial, the verdict itself is what the family sought most.

“The money is not an issue. It never has been,” he said. “It’s holding the man who killed my son and Nicole responsible.”

Anna Betts reports on national events, including politics, education, and natural or man-made disasters, among other things. More about Anna Betts

World paid little attention to Sudan’s war for a year. Now aid groups warn of mass death from hunger

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On a clear night a year ago, a dozen heavily armed fighters broke into Omaima Farouq’s house in an upscale neighborhood in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum. At gunpoint, they whipped and slapped the woman, and terrorized her children. Then they expelled them from the fenced two-story house.

“Since then, our life has been ruined,” said the 45-year-old schoolteacher. “Everything has changed in this year.”

Farouq, who is a widow, and her four children now live in a small village outside the central city of Wad Madani, 136 kilometers (85 miles) southeast of Khartoum. They depend on aid from villagers and philanthropists since international aid groups can’t reach the village.

Sudan has been torn by war for a year now, ever since simmering tensions between its military and the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into street clashes in the capital Khartoum in mid-April 2023. The fighting rapidly spread across the country.

The conflict has been overshadowed by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza Strip, which since October has caused a massive humanitarian crisis for Palestinians and a threat of famine in the territory.

But relief workers warn Sudan is hurtling towards an even larger-scale calamity of starvation, with potential mass death in coming months. Food production and distribution networks have broken down and aid agencies are unable to reach the worst-stricken regions. At the same time, the conflict has brought widespread reports of atrocities including killings, displacement and rape, particularly in the area of the capital and the western region of Darfur.

Justin Brady, head of the U.N. humanitarian coordination office for Sudan, warned that potentially tens or even hundreds of thousands could die in coming months from malnutrition-related causes.

“This is going to get very ugly very quickly unless we can overcome both the resource challenges and the access challenges,” Brady said. The world, he said, needs to take fast action to pressure the two sides for a stop in fighting and raise funds for the U.N. humanitarian effort.

But the international community has paid little attention. The U.N. humanitarian campaign needs some $2.7 billion this year to get food, heath care and other supplies to 24 million people in Sudan – nearly half its population of 51 million. So far, funders have given only $145 million, about 5%, according to the humanitarian office, known as OCHA.

The “level of international neglect is shocking,” Christos Christou, president of the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, said in a recent statement.

The situation in fighting on the ground has been deteriorating. The military, headed by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, and the RSF, commanded by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, have carved up Khartoum and trade indiscriminate fire at each other. RSF forces have overrun much of Darfur, while Burhan has moved the government and his headquarters to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan.

The Sudanese Unit for Combating Violence Against Women, a government organization, documented at least 159 cases of rape and gang rape the past year, almost all in Khartoum and Darfur. The organization’s head, Sulima Ishaq Sharif, said this figure represents the tip of the iceberg since many victims don’t speak out for fear of reprisal or the stigma connected to rape.

In 2021, Burhan and Dagalo were uneasy allies who led a military coup. They toppled an internationally recognized civilian government that was supposed to steer Sudan’s democratic transition after the 2019 military overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir amid a popular uprising. Burhan and Dagalo subsequently fell out in a struggle for power.

The situation has been horrific in Darfur, where the RSF and its allies are accused of rampant sexual violence and ethnic attacks on African tribes’ areas. The International Criminal Court said it was investigating fresh allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the region, which was the scene of genocidal war in the 2000s.

A series of attacks by the RSF and allied militias on the ethnic African Masalit tribe killed between 10,000 and 15,000 people in Geneina, the capital of West Darfur near the Chad border, according to a report by United Nations experts to the Security Council earlier this year. It said Darfur is experiencing “its worst violence since 2005.”

With aid groups unable to reach Darfur’s camps for displaced people, eight out of every 10 families in the camps eat only one meal a day, said Adam Rijal, the spokesman for the Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur.

In Kelma camp in South Darfur province, he said an average of nearly three children die every 12 hours, most due to diseases related to malnutrition. He said the medical center in the camp receives between 14 and 18 cases of malnutrition every day, mostly children and pregnant women.

Not including the Geneina killings, the war has killed at least 14,600 people across Sudan and created the world’s largest displacement crisis, according to the United Nations. More than 8 million people have been driven from their homes, fleeing either to safer areas inside Sudan or to neighboring countries.

Many flee repeatedly as the war expands.

When fighting reached his street in Khartoum, Taj el-Ser and his wife and four children headed west to his relatives in Darfur in the town of Ardamata.

Then the RSF and its allies overran Ardamata in November, rampaging through the town for six days. El-Ser said they killed many Masalit and relatives of army soldiers.

“Some were shot dead or burned inside their homes,” he said by phone from another town in Darfur. “I and my family survived only because I am Arab.”

Both sides, the military and RSF, have committed serious violations of international law, killing civilians and destroying vital infrastructure, said Mohamed Osman, Sudan researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Food production has crashed, imports stalled, movement of food around the country is hampered by fighting, and staple food prices have soared by 45% in less than a year, OCHA says. The war wrecked the country’s healthcare system, leaving only 20 to 30% of the health facilities functional across the country, according to MSF.

At least 37% of the population at crisis level or above in hunger, according OCHA. Save the Children warned that about 230,000 children, pregnant women and newborn mothers could die of malnutrition in the coming months.

“We are seeing massive hunger, suffering and death. And yet the world looks away,” said Arif Noor, Save the Children’s director in Sudan.

About 3.5 million children aged under 5 years have acute malnutrition, including more than 710,000 with severe acute malnutrition, according to the World Health Organization.

About 5 million people were one step away from famine, according to a December assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, considered the global authority on determining the severity of hunger crises. Overall, 17.7 million people were facing acute food insecurity, it found.

Aid workers say the world has to take action.

“Sudan is described as a forgotten crisis. I’m starting to wonder how many people knew about it in the first place to forget about it,” said Brady, from OCHA. “There are others that have more attention than Sudan. I don’t like to compare crises. It’s like comparing two cancer patients. ... They both need to be treated.”

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How much do caddies make at the Masters? Here's how their pay at the PGA tournament works.

By Khristopher J. Brooks

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: April 11, 2024 / 3:54 PM EDT / CBS News

Being a caddie at the Masters is an entirely different experience than doing the job anywhere else — just ask Ken Martin.

"Caddies are treated really great at Augusta," said Martin, who caddied for Scottish golfer Sandy Lyle at the major tournament last year. "We had our own locker room. They feed us just wonderful food — the best food I've ever had really. But it's a long week. You have to be fit to get around that hilly course."

Some of the biggest names in professional golf, including Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, will converge on the famously hilly course Thursday to compete in the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Golfers are playing for a multimillion dollar cash prize and the chance to don the coveted green jacket for a year.

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Much of this year's attention will be on the cash prize the winning golfer will receive at this year's tournament. The purse for the 2023 Masters totaled $18 million, which was $3 million more than the purse the year before — the largest year-over-year increase in tournament history. Of that total, 2023 winner Jon Rahm took home $3.24 million .

But players aren't the only ones in line for a big payout. The winner's caddie can easily go home with a six-figure paycheck after four days of work. But snagging the four-day gig is the culmination of years spent working one-on-one with the same professional golfer, Martin said. 

Caddies develop a strong friendship with a golfer long before it's time for an elite competition like the Masters, Martin said. Fans seated in the stands, as well those watching at home, can only see the caddie handing the player a club, but in reality, there's a constant back-and-forth communication taking place between golfer and caddie during commercial breaks and while the two are walking to the next hole, he explained. Martin, who played professionally from 1982 to 2015, now teaches the sport at Keiser University in Florida. 

Aside from carrying the heavy bag, the caddie also provides input on which club to use, as well as swing technique, Martin said. That's because most caddies working PGA Tour games  are former professional players with a wealth of knowledge on the game. 

But technique is only a small part of the exchange, he added. With a strong camaraderie forged over the years, it's very likely the two spend most of time chatting like old friends, he said. 

"It's boring to talk about only golf for four to six hours," Martin said. "You're out there for a long time together so the friendship part of it plays a larger role." 

How much do caddies make at the Masters?

Caddies like Martin earn a salary from two sources during the Masters. One part is a weekly wage between $2,000 and $4,000 depending on the caddie's experience, the Association of Professional Caddies and the Caddies Network told CBS MoneyWatch. The weekly wage helps caddies recoup financially because they're required to pay their own travel to Georgia, along with hotel and food while working the tournament. 

Caddies also get a percentage of whatever their player earns after the tournament ends. The caddie of the Master's winner will get 10% of the prize money. For context, Jon Rahm won the Masters' last year and got $3.24 million. 

The caddie for the runner up at the Masters will get 7% of that player's prize winnings; every caddie after that will get 5%. 

Caddies Network CEO John von Stade told CBS MoneyWatch there are rare occasions when a caddie has a private contract with the player, in which case that person's salary will not follow the traditional setup. 

Over the past five years, caddie have seen some positive changes. PGA Tour officials have increased caddies' weekly wages and players' prize money has also climbed — potentially giving caddies a chance to bring home six figures after a tournament.

"But what hasn't changed is, if your player doesn't make the cut, there is no other source of money other than the weekly fee," von Stade said. 

Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. He previously worked as a reporter for the Omaha World-Herald, Newsday and the Florida Times-Union. His reporting primarily focuses on the U.S. housing market, the business of sports and bankruptcy.

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Kansas governor vetoes proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors

The Associated Press

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks about the necessity to expand Medicaid in the state during a rally on March 6 in Topeka. Kelly on Friday vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Evert Nelson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP hide caption

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks about the necessity to expand Medicaid in the state during a rally on March 6 in Topeka. Kelly on Friday vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas' governor on Friday vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a measure to require more reporting from abortion providers and what she called a "vague" bill making it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's actions set up a series of confrontations with the Republican-supermajority Legislature over those issues. The measures appeared to have the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override vetoes, but GOP leaders' success depends on how many lawmakers are absent on a given day, especially in the House.

The two-term governor , who is term-limited, is a strong supporter of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Republicans control the Legislature, and they've joined other GOP lawmakers across the U.S. in rolling back transgender rights.

A Florida activist creates safe spaces as laws and rhetoric turn against trans rights

But Kansas has been an outlier on abortion among states with Republican legislatures because the Kansas Supreme Court declared in 2019 that the state constitution protects abortion rights , and a statewide vote in August 2022 decisively affirmed that position.

"Voters do not want politicians getting between doctors and their patient by interfering in private medical decisions," Kelly wrote in her veto message on the abortion reporting bill.

Kelly did allow one GOP proposal on a social issue highlighted by Republicans across the U.S. to become law without her signature. Starting July 1, pornography websites must verify that Kansas visitors are adults. Kansas will follow Texas and a handful of other states despite some concerns about privacy and how broadly the law could be applied.

In rejecting an attempt to have Kansas join at least 24 other states in banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors, Kelly argued that a ban "tramples parental rights" and targets "a small group."

Children's Health

Trans families are migrating to colorado so their kids can get gender-affirming care.

"If the Legislature paid this much attention to the other 99.8% of students, we'd have the best schools on earth," she wrote.

The Kansas bill against gender-affirming care would bar surgery, hormone treatments and puberty blockers, limiting care for minors to therapy.

"Hopefully this will be the end of that, at least this year, and they don't decide to waste anyone's time anymore," Jenna Bellemere, a transgender University of Kansas student, said after learning of the veto.

The bill also would require that the state revoke the licenses of any doctors violating the ban and bar recipients of state funds for treating children or state employees who work with children from advocating gender-affirming care for them. It would ban the use of state dollars and property on such care, which restricts the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

At a time of anti-trans sentiment, a New York lawsuit brings hope for the community

Supporters of the bill argue the ban will protect children from experimental, possibly dangerous and potentially permanent treatments. They have cited the recent decision of the National Health Service in England to no longer routinely cover such treatments. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said of Kelly, "The radical left controls her veto pen."

"Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors," said Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican.

But U.S. states' bans go against the recommendations of major American health care groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Also, many medical professionals say providing such care makes transgender children less prone to depression or suicidal thoughts.

Last year, Republican legislators overrode Kelly vetoes to ban transgender girls and women on female K-12 and college sports teams and end the state's legal recognition of transgender people's gender identities. Because of the latter law, Kansas no longer allows transgender people to change the listing for sex on their driver's licenses or birth certificates.

First in the nation gender-affirming care ban struck down in Arkansas

Republican lawmakers also have continued to press for new laws on abortion, despite the August 2022 vote, arguing that voters still support "reasonable" regulations and support for pregnant women and new mothers.

"Once again, Governor 'Coercion Kelly' has shown how radical she is when it comes to abortion, lacking basic compassion for women who are pushed or even trafficked into abortions," Danielle Underwood, spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, said in a statement.

The anti-coercion bill would punish someone convicted of making a physical or financial threat against a woman or girl to push her to have an abortion with up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $10,000. In her veto message, Kelly noted that it's already a crime to threaten someone else.

Critics said it's written broadly enough that it could apply to a spouse who threatens divorce or a live-in boyfriend who threatens to leave unless their partner gets an abortion.

A Kansas lawmaker complains about sharing a bathroom with a trans colleague

The reporting bill would require providers to ask their patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies and report the information to the state health department. Kelly and other critics contend it's invasive and unnecessary, but supporters argue that the state needs better data about why women and girls have abortions to help set policy.

"These stigmatizing bills were not crafted to improve the health and well-being of Kansans," said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates three clinics providing abortions in Kansas. "They were merely meant to shame reproductive care."

• gender-affirming care
• trans rights
• transgender rights

Waymo will launch paid robotaxi service in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Tech startup Waymo said Tuesday that it would begin offering paid robotaxi rides in Los Angeles beginning Wednesday, as the nation’s experiment with self-driving car technology picks up steam. 

Waymo, a spinoff of Google, had announced details for its service in Los Angeles in January as it sought state regulatory approval and local support. Within the last year, Waymo has offered free "tour" rides in Los Angeles, and last month, it received regulatory approval to expand to a paid service, despite pushback from the Teamsters union and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Waymo previewed the project in a blog post in 2022.

Waymo said Tuesday that more than 50,000 people were on its waitlist to use the service. The company did not say how many users it would allow to fully use the app starting Wednesday. Last month, the company said it was starting with a Los Angeles fleet of fewer than 50 cars covering a 63-square-mile area from Santa Monica to downtown L.A. Los Angeles County has a population of 9.7 million people. 

The service works similarly to other ride-hailing smartphone apps such as Flywheel, Lyft and Uber, except that Waymo’s vehicles have no human drivers present. Riders follow instructions on the app and through the vehicle’s sound system, though Waymo workers can assist remotely. 

Robotaxis are getting more buzz as the technology advances in fits and starts. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Friday that Tesla would reveal a robotaxi product in August, though he gave no details. Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary that paused its robotaxi service last year after one of its vehicles failed to detect a pedestrian underneath it, said Tuesday that it would reintroduce human-driven vehicles in select cities, including Phoenix, as a step back toward driverless operations. 

Various China-based tech startups are also testing self-driving cars on California roads, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers. 

But for now, Waymo’s only competition is traditional, human-driven car services. 

Waymo’s expansion to Los Angeles will bring autonomous for-profit taxis to the nation’s second-largest city — and to a city long synonymous with car travel. Waymo already operates commercial robotaxi services in San Francisco and Phoenix. 

Chris Ludwick, Waymo’s product management director, called the Los Angeles move a milestone. 

“The reception from Angelenos so far has been exceptional, and we look forward to welcoming more riders into our service over time,” he said in a statement. 

Waymo said it informed its test riders about the change Monday in an email, which someone also posted to Reddit. 

Robotaxis have faced criticism on multiple fronts, from the threat they pose to drivers’ jobs to the mistakes they’ve made blocking city buses or emergency vehicles. Under California law, driverless cars can’t be given traffic tickets, and they could make traffic congestion worse . 

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation said the Waymo expansion was happening too soon, without enough local oversight of autonomous vehicle operations, but in an order last month state officials said that those concerns were unfounded. 

Supporters of robotaxis have countered that human drivers have a terrible safety record , with traffic deaths topping 40,000 a year in the U.S. Waymo has not reported a death or serious injury from its technology, and Waymo vehicles appear to be generally more observant of traffic laws than human drivers are, according to journalists who have ridden in them. 

In San Francisco, the futuristic nature of driverless vehicles has become a tourist attraction. 

Opponents of autonomous taxi expansions, including the Teamsters, have vowed to slow down the growth of companies such as Waymo. A bill pending in the California Senate would give cities and counties authority over robotaxi services — a power that currently resides with state government agencies. A hearing on that bill is scheduled for next week. 

David Ingram covers tech for NBC News.