Taking a cue from Radiohead...

Paste Magazine (a monthly publication covering "indie" culture in music and literature) has begun to offer yearlong subscriptions for as low as a name-your-own price (actually, $1). Being a journalism major, and being one of the cheapest people alive, I couldn't pass this up.

Here's the link:

https://www.pastemagazine.com/action/nyop_subscribe

As I got ready to enter my credit card numbers into the system, a wave of guilt hit me. I was prepared to pay $1 (I paid nothing for Radiohead), but then they hit me with the following facts: Newstand price of Paste is $65.45, one-year subscriptions are $19.95. I couldn't just pay $1 for 11 issues and 11 CDs (roughly 220 songs), especially after having worked at a magazine this summer.

So I paid $5, and still feel slightly guilty, although I am stoked about getting Paste for the next year. Here's my justification: If they weren't having this promotion, I wouldn't have paid them anything. And $5 will cover postage. Same thing with Radiohead; I wouldn't have bought In Rainbows, but I'll download it if they're willing to give it to me for free. Who knows, maybe I'll become a Radiohead diehard at go to a concert sometime.

It's a risk, but I'm hoping for success for both Radiohead and Paste - a good outcome will only lead to more media to give away free content. And I'm all about free. Especially when Ryan Adams is on the cover.

— Susan