A first glance at this article and it may easy to jump to a conclusion. Rupert Murdoch just wants to line his pockets with even more green — as if he needs anymore money. But simply looking around to observe the newspaper landscape, the major newspapers are failing around the country. The wheels of journalism cannot be greased using online ad revenue alone:
Murdoch pointed to the Journal’s main rival in the United States, The New York Times, as an example. The Times has one of the most popular U.S. newspaper websites, but still cannot cover its costs with online ads, he said.
While the idea of being charged to read a paper on the Internet, it makes sense. Consider the alternative, the reality of the situation:
Time is running out. Some U.S. publishers like Tribune Co have filed for bankruptcy. Others, including Hearst Corp and EW Scripps Co, have been shutting down big city dailies. Still others are furloughing employees, cutting pay and buying out or laying off thousands of workers.
It is almost cringe inducing to think about actually paying to read one’s newspaper. But wait a second — isn’t that what we’ve done all along? By allowing free online content, newspapers are stubbornly clinging to their sinking ship. A personal suggestion of mine? Ask for donations. Papers with a larger readership could bring in extra cash flow by setting up online donations. Yes, it goes against the theory of capitalism, but who knows what will happen. After all, it isn’t cheap to provide indepth journalism coverage.
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