2) Create a blogpost on your MEST3 Exam Blog called 'Build The Wall analysis'.
3) Summarise each section in one sentence:
- To the two people capable of saving high-end journalism, you need to find a way to make people pay for the content.
- There isn't enough time, people are not paying for what they can equally get for free.
- There are many factors that can save journalism, the internet and maximising subscription revenue
- For the industry it is too late for online paying models, papers such as the times only survive because they are uniques an essential.
4) Summarise David Simon’s overall argument in 250 words.
Getting the audience to pay for the content is the most difficult thing, even for the higher companies who were the last to be impacted by the damage caused by the internet. Given the fact that people are able to get the same news for free, there is no inclination to pay, it is a waste of time. Had the industry introduced subscriptions earlier, there wouldn't be such a great issue. If they do introduce pay-walls e.t.c. there will be only a 'thin' online audience, only those who believe that there are receiving unique content. however with regional newspapers being hit the hardest there is an opening for local newspapers, circulation costs are lower. If they chose to go completely online, there would be no circulation and printing costs and profits made from ad revenue.
5) Read this Guardian comment by AC Grayling piece on the state of journalism that was published the year before David Simon's essay. What references to new and digital media can you find in AC Grayling's argument? Overall, do you feel the comment piece is positive or negative about the influence of new/digital media on the newspaper industry?
o The fourth estate (Print Media) doesn't have the same impact on politics.
o blogging and interactivity isn't small but compared to the loss and credibility the media has suffered means there isn't as much influence.
o theres equals good and bad sides, there's a massive democratisation of opinion and more people are getting information. However governments may start regulation the internet where inly certain, approved people are able to share their opinion. There is also lot of misinformation 'trolling'
o In places such as the US print media has more of an influence politically that the internet.o the internet allows of the 4 'valuable functions of the fourth estate' to 'inform, challenge, explore and debate emerge more strongly' on the internet furthermore the ability to filter 'where a degree of responsibility, reliability and accountability places positive constraints on the quality of content.'
I think that the piece is positive about the influence of new/digital media because even though there as constant outline to negatives, there are positives in place and some that can be put in place to counteract it.
'6) Finally, what is your own opinion? Do you agree that newspapers need to put online content behind a paywall in order for the journalism industry to survive? Would you be willing to pay for news online? Critical autonomy is the key skill in A2 Media - you need to be able form opinions on these issues.
I don't thing newspapers need to out their content behind a paywall to save the journalism industry. Instead keeping their content free and creating a consistent audience and readership would mean that there is an appeal for advertisers, including the fact that if they were to get rid of print, the printing and distribution costs would be removed. They're the ones that are creating losses because people aren't actually buying the newspaper. Ad revenue can be made online and rather than journalism being on a print platform, it becomes an online one rather than a non existent one. I don't think that I would pay for news online just because there is no guarantee that their content isn't going to be the same, even if it was a ground breaking story it is likely that it would be covered by other papers.
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