While the bloggers over at the Huffington Post are still bitching about not getting paid for their opinions, The Washington Post featured a great article last week that shatters myths about the future of journalism and supports why quality news and journalistic content should not be free.
I’ve always been a strong proponent of paid-for content – we pay for everything else that we need, value and want. Quality news and content should be no different.
Case in point? The Daily.
Despite many pooh-poohing The Daily when it first came out on the iPad, it represents – to me at least – the future of news and digital journalism for our always connected and ADD-stricken minds. Engaging, entertaining, easy to digest and instantly-gratifying, The Daily creates an experience while delivering news and information of value easily. The New York Times would be wise to take a lesson or three from The Daily’s playbook.
Back to The Washington Post’s article, Five myths about the future of journalism, Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, debunks the following myths:
1. The traditional news media are losing their audience.
2. Online news will be fine as soon as the advertising revenue catches up.
3. Content will always be king
4. Newspapers around the world are on the decline.
5. The solution is to focus on local news.
Other news organizations struggling to define their relevance and revenue models should also take note.
My take is that over the next 18-24 months, we’re going to see a significant shift in attitude when consumers finally recognize that you pay for what you get.
If you want quality news and reporting, not regurgitated word-vomit, you will have to pay for it.
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