Quality as an added value in the paid-for information content on internet

Paid-for information content has become a major concern among media looking for a suitable business model on the Internet. The "totally-free" perception presumed by a significant number of users, the sharp drop in advertising revenues and the entry into the market of new agents such as social media, demand a reflection about that added value which shall prove decisive to foster an inclination towards paid content. The present research work analyses the value of quality from two points of view and through two complementary methods: those of the professionals managing media corporates, on the one hand, and those of users consuming content, on the other. Hence, answers are provided to questions raised, concerning the definition and perception of quality, and whether that sole element is enough to prompt the intention to pay. As an overall conclusion, it is finally determined that quality is indeed the primary value, as stressed by both professional and users, above everything else, and it is associated to values such as exclusiveness, differentiation, specialisation and accessibility.