NYT Columnists Prepare To Teach Classes

First, there were plans to launch a wine club. Now The New York Times has revealed another new revenue stream: classes taught by Times columnists.

The Gray Lady is currently offering three of these courses through its Knowledge Network. First announced in late July, the courses will be taught by Nicholas Kristof, who will focus on human rights violations of women in developing countries; Gail Collins, who will speak about the lives and history of American women; and Eric Asimov, who will speak on wines along with two winemakers.

Kristof and Collins’ seminars are online-only, and the price of $185 will get you access to one live, interactive Webcast, three self-paced lessons and a one-week online forum discussion. Asimov’s presentation is slightly different. For $125 you get access to an online seminar with winemakers Cathy Corison and Chris Cree, but New York-area students also have chance to see it live.

As Neiman Lab recently pointed out, this model could lead the way for a membership option the Times said it was considering last month. So we may be seeing more of these down the line.

Kristof’s seminar is the first up, debuting September 15. He will be discussing the topics that stem directly from his upcoming book, “Half the Sky,” which hits shelves September 8.

What do you think? Are these types of seminars something you are interested in? Would you pay to hear Times columnists speak? Will revenue from these sorts of things save journalism?

Related: Would You Buy Wine From The New York Times?

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