The art of Journalism is under threat. In this article, it seems that the internet is to blame, that news blogs such as this little family unfairly use the news medium for free. This blog rarely quotes from news media but does link to their stories, and if all bloggers were to subscribe to a code of non-parasitic behavior, it would serve the media to some degree but I do not believe that bloggers really have that much power or relevance. If someone reads your little rant, well its great - but this is not Journalism in the true sense. It is also true that real journalism has arisen from blogs - such as the Huffington Post or TPM - both which are successful media outlets in their own right.
Who ever said that the media should not charge subscriptions to content was simply lying. Of course they should. But to have a shared wire service and claim copyright to it is disingenuous if a local paper does not also produce and submit great local coverage. Or balanced political coverage.
The rise of blogging was due in part to a failure of the media to respond to 9/11 more accurately. The media analysis of the Bush administration took too long to become objective. Weblogs were ahead of the media in speaking out without a muzzle. But ineffective in the main. The political sway of a blog is usually not that great.
Newspapers have far more political influence and effect. It is that they should be paid for, but as political transparency is a right rather than a product, it is hard to charge for it. Nobody would support tax payer subsidies for journalism, but if we citizens expect good quality news, we have to be prepared to support the efforts of the great news outlets, the ones that have embraced and evolved on the web have a far great chance of dominating the future.
Newspapers need to become online publications with full copyright protection. A more nominal annual subscription should become the norm. For growth, a free model is important also, but the news media had better be careful what they are claiming is exclusively theirs.
When news media publish online photography, youtube videos or quote bloggers they should also be paying a reasonable fee for these services. The internet lends itself to community news sites. News papers are replacing TV reportage with online video. So what is next?
