Forget Google Supporting Newspapers; Now Some Think The Gov't Should Prop Up Newspapers
from the ah,-how-quickly-we-pretend-the-world-is-ending dept
It's no secret that many folks in the newspaper industry are freaked out by the market changes impacting what they do. However, we keep hearing increasingly bizarre suggestions for solutions. My personal favorite is still the idea that Google somehow has a moral obligation to just give money to journalists. The latest such suggestion may be even more far-fetched, with a long article at the Columbia Journalism Review suggesting it's time to start thinking about having the government prop up newspapers (via Romenesko). The good news is that many people asked about this suggestion respond with reasonable distaste (or outright horror) to the idea. The author of the piece brings up examples of government support for news operations, but in almost every case the scenario is quite different. Often, the gov't support is for getting something going in an areas where there's nothing, rather than propping up an industry that has had trouble adapting to a changing marketplace. The fact is that it's silly to think that there really aren't business models that can support a reasonable news operation (and yes, they need to realize it's a news operation, not a newspaper, if they want to survive). The demand for news and information continues to increase, as does the supply. It's certainly shifting business models around, but it's a huge opportunity for those who can spot the economic trends and adapt to them.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Especially if it's somehow better than the internet. Riiight.
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Hmm, where have I heard that idea before, I wonder.
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Government Subsidice News
I thought the US Government or should I say...The Cheyni/Bush Regime was allready supportive of the conglomerate news mafia (Fox, CNN, CBS, New Times, Post, etc). What is this NeoCon guy suggesting? We should feel sorry for this RICH and BIAS news corporations?
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Freedom of the press.
Only a very corrupted government would help them. This is probably why this idea is coming out now.
Let me show you an example of the all powerful news mafia: All developed countries (all Europe, Russia) are spending a lot to bring down their CO2 emissions. The USA is the only country on the planet where the news often cast a doubt about the human role in global warming. We are also the worst polluter by FAR. All that because of the polluter subsidized mafia.
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The root of the problem...
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a) not that i'd expect much of a change w/ the news if that happened seeing as the current news as the general public knows and loves it does their best to turn anything and everything into a total shitfest (i
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"Danny DeVito Other People's Money
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Four thoughts...
2. If I could get a print newspaper that can give me news from several different sources (NY Times, BBC, al-Jazeera, Fox, etc.) then I might consider it. But I doubt this could be pulled off in any practical way. And don't even say "Reader's Digest"
3. It always amuses me when the US government triumphs free markets, then when a certain business begins to fail in those markets, the government tries to prop them up (Amtrak, farm subsidies, now newspapers)
4. Government sponsored newspapers aren't newspapers, it's propaganda
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I look forward to the day the alphabet news is gon
Never encouraging self-improvement. Always cheering the victim but never the the successful. Sneering at the ethical, the honest, the self-sufficient the Christian, Mormon or Jewish.
Apologizing for the terrorist, the militant, the dictator, the anarchist, the smelly, bug-infested, doped-out hippie.
Let them go under they are not worth the butt-wiping some bum can get out of 'em.
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Govt should and does prop up journalism
Consider the trivial battles between CNN and Fox for ratings. Consider the endless coverage of O.J. and other infotainment. The business-based model brings us this nonsense. There's a place for this, but business and extremism shouldn't be the only support for "journalism".
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Re: Govt should and does prop up journalism
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Re: Re: Govt should and does prop up journalism
Richard seems to prefer European news over other news. The article points out that most European countries have been subsidizing the press, both directly and indirectly, for decades. I wouldn't say that the govt should intend to prop up "nonsense news". The article points out NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as examples of how government subsidies had helped.
Also, Richard's important reports do not seem to be publicized to his satisfaction in spite of inexpensive internet content. Excellent journalism may need help in being heard above the cheap chatter on the internet (and elsewhere).
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Newspapers, travel agents, which one is more irrel
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Re: Newspapers, travel agents, which one is more i
God help us all when and if the day comes that we all get our so-called "news" from bloggers sitting in their jammies in their Mommie's basement.
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Re: Re: Newspapers, travel agents, which one is mo
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Update with HTML code and the P key. Duh. Newspa
I wanted to throw something at the TV set, screaming 'you signed your own death warrant before 911, you travel agent nazi biatch!' I was a frequent traveler, and at that point had been booking my own travel since 1990, without much aid of a travel agent. The last trip I planned shortly before 911 included cashing in a very large travel voucher, a gift from one of the airlines for giving up my seat on a busy flight the year before. I couldn't find a travel agent willing to help me without charging me a service fee.
All wanted to meet me only with schedued in advance appointments, telling me that processing this travel voucher was time-consuming and would cost me a service fee, blah blah blah. Basically letting me know that they were doing me a big favor. F--- you, travel nazi, newspaper publisher, airline exec, and all else who whine and cry about needing government protection from society's innovations and technological advancements.
A friend referred me to the satellite office of my airline. They handled my travel voucher easily and in minutes, without any gnashing or gnawing of teeth. Six years and counting after 911, I still have never found reason to call a travel agent for anything, and I no longer subscribe to newspapers or magazines. My information and tailored content is now all brought to me online, and my favorite airlines email me directly with special travel offers and incentives.
Like the travel nazi biatch, the newspapers have made themselves largely irrelevant in my daily life. News changes and breaks so frequently that a traditional newspaper subscription is an albatross around the neck of a self-proclaimed news junkie like myself.
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Re: Update with HTML code and the P key. Duh. Ne
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The New National Pastime
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