There’s a lot of talk about “paywalls”. It’s usually about newspapers, and it’s almost always just about news. It shouldn’t be.

Nor should Rupert Murdoch’s introduction of a pay-to-view model be regarded as an act of desperation. This could be the moment newspapers finally begin to get it right.

Am I willing to pay for a trusted digital offering that helps make my life better, more prosperous, and better informed? Definitely.

Late last century, multi-section newspapers attempted to meet the needs of their readers in areas well beyond news, such as personal finance, travel, motoring, business, and culture. Usually, for no more than £1 a day.

At about the same time, newspapers began - albeit begrudgingly - to put content online. Almost by default, they unthinkingly assumed online advertising would cover any additional marginal costs. They were wrong. Meanwhile, as niche content-providers emerged, newspapers closed their eyes not only to the threats, but also to the opportunities. Crucially, they failed to become leaders in any single market. Unlike innovative upstarts, they missed the opportunity to build sustainable businesses in areas they dominated in print.

Instead, they took the easy option and competed to feed the appetite for 24/7 news. Every minute of every day, just as news was becoming a commodity, they wasted time and money providing the best news service possible. For Google. For free.

They paid scant attention to the changing needs and expectations of online readers, about whom they knew little and cared less. No “paywall” can be as impenetrable as the ignorance that divides most newspapers from their digital audiences. 

So how can a pay-to-view model help?  Firstly, it can enrich the relationship with readers and focus on individuals with whom a publisher can engage directly, over a longer term. To know their email addresses and postcodes will be only a start.

In an era of information overload, publishers can add value by being more selective, by creating only high-quality content in carefully-chosen areas - rather than simply churning out lots of ephemeral “stuff” in the hope Google sends crowds of unknown users, most of whom will never be seen again.

In addition, a pay-to-view model can allow publishers to signpost external quality content, even when delivered by so-called rivals. It can encourage innovation, the success of which can be measured by indicators more reliable than the number of daily unique visitors. Such innovation may relate not only to content, but also to the way subscribers engage with content, via online tools and services.

Most importantly, it can put individual journalists back where they belong: at the centre of a community of readers. As a loyal subscriber, I will expect a more engaging relationship with a new generation of journalists, each dedicated to creating content that benefits me as a valued customer. I will expect to read them online, befriend them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

And if they respond to my needs in a personalised and bespoke manner, a pound or two a week will be a small price to pay.