Space Foundation Charges News Media To Read Their News
Keith’s note: I just got this email from Carol Hively, Director, Public Relations & Team Communications telling me “NOTE TO MEDIA: Today, the Space Foundation will issue a press release announcing data from The Space Report 2016. In addition to the data found in the press release, an overview of the report is available free to media here. There will be a charge of $99 for media to access the complete pdf of The Space Report 2016, which includes more than 80 pages of data on global space activity during 2015. Go here to receive the discount code to order The Space Report 2016 pdf full report for the discounted media rate of $99.”
I had to read that email more than once. Space Foundation charges immense fees for its member companies, puts on lavish events, and never does anything in an inexpensive way. Indeed, according to their 2014 Form 990 Space Foundation had over $7,000,000 in income. And yet they want the several dozen news media (those who pay attention to the Space Foundation that is) to pay $99 to read their self-congratulatory 80 page PDF file? Really? You’d think that the Space Foundation would best serve its membership by making the good news about space economy available to everyone who is interested.
Keith’s update: According to their press release “The report can be purchased as a downloadable PDF for $399. A website subscription can be purchased for $3,500.” So … now the non-profit Space Foundation is in the commercial market forecasting business, I guess. Again, you’d think that this report should be out in the wild for anyone to read.
This must be what it was like when Rome was burning.
I laughed too. Why would I want to pay $99 to read an 80 page report that won’t tell me anything new? I could always just wait a few weeks for the next multi-page giant report on space exploration/commerce/tourism/whatever.
Off Topic:
Kieth you are in the top influencers in space…
http://traackr.com/blog/201…
Yea I saw that. I do not think that is accurate.
Its just bait to sell their consulting services by getting folks to know them.
well that’s to bad, Keith has influenced my thinking a time or two
Maybe it works on some but not on me 😉
It’s just because he uses the #journeytomars tag so much 😛
Busted
Those people are simply in another universe, one in which companies pay out absurd amounts for bits of info. The staff there have come to think that all universes are run on the same principle, so what’s the issue?
FYI, if you have a phrase from a document that is behind a paywall, try googling the phrase in quotes. Often that will pull up a link that will give you the full text. Doesn’t always work, but worth a try in such cases.
Interesting strategy to limit distribution to just the handful of big old time media outlets and old line trade media with expense accounts. It basically allows them to avoid dealing with the new media outlets. It will be interesting to see if the strategy of stealth discrimination against new media works or a strong backlash stops it. In any case it is a classic example of the mindset that still exists in big corporations against the new media outlets. I will have to use it as an example in the next PR class I teach as how strong resistance is to change in traditional organizations.
I have no problem with them charging for their research reports to the public and the price is reasonable considering what consulting groups charge for theirs. However, I think they would get more marketing mileage if they didn’t charge the media. That’s a mistake IMHO. And as I keep pointing out to people, a non-profit can and should earn revenue, they just have to spend it each year.
wow a story drawing Mr. Boucher out of the woodwork! He lives!! 🙂
I do a lot behind the scenes 😉 More to come.
I predicted earlier this year somewhere here on Disqus that we’ll look back on 2016 as the year SpaceX became the industry leader. If that happens then we might also look back on 2016 as the year this particular conference became irrelevant.