Can you imagine how great it would be if you got to pay for all of Nieman Lab’s tweets? A feature that Twitter is working on could make that dream a reality: The company said at an analyst event Thursday that it’s developing a feature called “Super Follow,” which would let users charge for tweets and other content, as well as a “communities” feature somewhat like Facebook Groups and increased safety features.

Twitter announces “Super Follow”, like Patreon but on Twitter https://t.co/5YBmEfgsUn pic.twitter.com/aY9g1ozoJz

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) February 25, 2021

There’s no promised launch date for either of the products, but speculation about how journalists and news organizations could use the tool abounds. Enjoy these tweets while they’re still free!

One interesting question at this point is whether newsrooms will let reporters paywall their tweets and keep the money.

NEW: Twitter announces it’s exploring tipping and “Super Follows” – where users can super follow accounts, paying them a subscription for exclusive content, like Patreon

Curious whether newsrooms will allow reporters to generate extra revenues for themselves in this way or not? pic.twitter.com/s1lsUBudi2

— Hannah Murphy (@MsHannahMurphy) February 25, 2021

Whether reporters are allowed to enable Super Follows, and how they can use them, feels like it could cause a lot of controversy within newsrooms when it arrives.

Could also raise conflict of interest concerns with reporters who, uh, cover Twitter 😬

— Casey Newton (@CaseyNewton) February 25, 2021

Lol. As if any media org would allow employees to use this to get extra revenue for their own work product. Substack is often a fine line as it is. https://t.co/9hcIP0vzR5

— Christina Warren (@film_girl) February 25, 2021

will news organizations allow their employees to collect superfollow millions? or is this like taking money for speaking gigs??

— farhad manjoo (@fmanjoo) February 25, 2021

Another question is what news organizations could do with their own Twitter accounts.

News organizations could create a paywalled Twitter account where they'd tweet exclusive news a few mins ahead of their own website … would be lapped up by HFT traders and hedge funds https://t.co/PPpe6J4w7d

— Edmund Lee (@edmundlee) February 25, 2021

Twitter recently acquired the newsletter platform Revue. On Thursday, the same day that Super Follow was announced, New York Times reporter Kevin Roose revealed that he is launching a newsletter on Revue.

As the book comes out, I'm also starting a (free) email newsletter, where I'll be putting cutting-room extras, sending out my NYT columns, and jotting occasional notes about The Machines. Sign up here: https://t.co/2Y08nYh4oH

— Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) February 25, 2021

Ah, here's where the Revue piece makes sense. Patreon but for tweets as well as newsletters.

Gonna be weird around here, soon. https://t.co/9YFDnEolYF

— Andrew Losowsky (@losowsky) February 25, 2021

First big reporter to go to Revue since the acquisition by @Twitter (Congrats @kevinroose !)

This is the start of platforms fighting over exclusive creators/journalists, either via voice, newsletters, or other subscriptions. https://t.co/kkvFo9oM08

— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) February 25, 2021

There’s also the concern that this move will accelerate a trend toward only low-quality information being free.

I want content creators to get paid and I want journalists to get paid, but I don't want every high-quality piece of information to be behind a paywall

especially when misinformation is free

the question of how to square that circle is going to be a big one for our industry

— Emily Dreyfuss (@EmilyDreyfuss) February 25, 2021