Media Dinosaurs Look To Set Up iTunes For News
from the haven't-we-seen-this-before? dept
Well, there they go again. Three big "media" names, who have been trying to convince themselves that there are enough people out there clamoring for someone to give them a way to pay for news, have decided to put together a company that will do just that. Stephen Brill, L. Gordon Crovitz and Leo Hindery Jr. have teamed up to create a system to charge for news, with the idea that any newspaper can sign up and use their system. Clay Shirky calls this an RIAA for news, while Mathew Ingram points out that it may be more accurate to call it an iTunes for news.The problem, of course, is that this is all based on the faulty theory that people want an iTunes for news. This, of course, is great for other newspapers who know better, and decide to skip out on this plan, and get all the traffic that these newspapers give up. As Jeff Jarvis points out, in looking for news about this very venture, he was blocked by the paywall at some sites, and found the best coverage at a free site.
And, of course, it's especially ironic that Stephen Brill is behind this. That's because he's tried this before and it failed. Miserably. Meanwhile, Hindery in the past has shown that he also is one of those guys who tends to overvalue content and undervalue everything else people do online (communicate, share, discuss). This whole model is based on this single faulty assumption: that it's the news itself that's important to people. It's not. The news is important, but people want to be able to share the news, spread the news and discuss the news -- and you can't do that when it's behind a paywall. The very act of putting up a paywall diminishes the value of the content.
Still, it's a great opportunity for competitors of any newspaper short-sighted enough to sign up for this program.
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Filed Under: l. gordon crovitz, leo hindery, media, news, paid content, paywall, stephen brill
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Psychology of writers
As someone who enjoys writing and is currently trying to get a first novel published, one thing I've read OVER AND OVER again in literature on writing is something similar to, "It's very easy to get wrapped up in your own writing, to try and put on a show with your words, to make YOUR WRITING the star of the show. It isn't. The story is the star and you're simply a vehicle to tell the story."
Since Watergate journalists have become the stars, because viewers have allowed it, mostly because they didn't have many other choices. Now we do. I want to know about the struggle off the shores in Somalia, NOT what Mike Wallace thinks about that struggle. I want a historical perspective on Russian views of American influence abroad, NOT Sean Hannity's perspective.
It's over, your time has passed.
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Re: Psychology of writers
For instance; check the NYT article stating 90% of illegal guns in Mexico come from the US. Now check an article from Fox News earlier this month showing that 90% of traced guns come from the US which amounts to 17% of the confiscated guns. The other 83% aren't traced in the US because they have no serial number (meaning not sold in US because they have to have a serial number) or are the kinds of guns not legal in the US. No, I don't mean to make this statement about gun rights vs. control; it is only used to point out the bias of journalists.
The other problem is the need for 24x7 news. A story is run immediately with or without the facts. Just check the recent article about the Columbine shootings 10 years ago. According to the new article; almost nothing that was reported at the time is true. Of course, maybe the new article isn't true? Who knows; the journalists sure don't.
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Re: Re: Psychology of writers
Um, no. Regardless of country of origin, if a gun doesn't have a serial number it most likely means that it was removed, not that it never had one.
Virtually all manufacturers put serial numbers on the guns they manufacture. It is not some kind of a "US only" thing and if Fox said so then they are the ones being misleading. If Fox didn't say so and you're making stuff up then you're the one being misleading.
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Oh, Fox reported what the ICE agent told them so maybe it was neither Fox or I, but the ICE agent who is misleading.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Psychology of writers
...
Maybe you do since you know that "virtually all" gun manufacturers put serial numbers on their guns.
OK, inform me. Which ones don't? And do they represent 83% of the market? (I suspect that I'm more informed than you realize)
Oh, Fox reported what the ICE agent told them so maybe it was neither Fox or I, but the ICE agent who is misleading.
Well, if you can provide a link quoting one of them saying "meaning not sold in US because they have to have a serial number" then I'll blame them. Otherwise, it's looking like you're the one.
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BTW, have you ever bought a Russian or Chinese gun in Russia or China? Do you know for sure that they have serial numbers? Or do you just assume that since the US does it everyone does? My guess is you fall into the later category.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Psychology of writers
Ahem, let me quote you: "meaning not sold in US because they have to have a serial number". Despite your assertion, I still say that just because a gun doesn't have a serial number doesn't mean that it was never sold in the US. If you want to deny saying that, I would like to remind you that your original comment is preserved above for everyone to see.
So you jump to conclusions about it and get mad when busted for it.
I have no idea what makes you think I'm mad, because I'm not. And so far, you're the only one getting busted, whether you like to admit it or not.
Grow up please.
Ad hominems really don't do much for your argument or image.
BTW, have you ever bought a Russian or Chinese gun in Russia or China? Do you know for sure that they have serial numbers? Or do you just assume that since the US does it everyone does? My guess is you fall into the later category.
As a matter of fact, I have seen plenty of both and all that were in original condition had manufacturing serial numbers. Like I said, I suspect that I know more about the subject than you realize.
Now, I asked you to name manufacturers that don't put serial numbers on their guns and you have failed to do so. I am now more convinced than ever that you are just making stuff up, which is kind of ironic coming from someone complaining about journalists "creating" news. Too funny, really. But perhaps not too surprising coming from someone that also seems to consider Fox News a reliable source.
Or maybe you're just a troll. Either way, I'm not wasting any more time on you. Go ahead, get your last word now.
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If your knowledge of guns is anything like your reading comprehension I don't want to hear about it.
Now comes the Fox News bashing. Why do liberals such as yourself get so up in arms (pardon the pun) about Fox news? Doesn't it bother you that every other news organization in the country has an extremely liberal bias? Shouldn't you be worried about bias period, regardless of which way it goes?
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Part of the problem is the definition of journalist.
Sticking a microphone in someone's hands and airing them doesn't make them a journalist.
Hell, anymore, if there's a person involved, they're not really journalists, but publicists.
The real journalist is who typed up the story for the publicist to read.
Think people watching their TV news will know this?
More importantly: Do you think they care?
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Re: Re: Psychology of writers
Well said. In the old days the BBC would attempt to give you "both sides" of the story. Of course for many issues there are more that two sides of the story. The one side of the story I could totally care less about is the reporter/news organizations opinion.
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Re: Psychology of writers
I'd disagree. A good writer and a poor one can both tell the same story. The difference is in the words they use.
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Propaganda model
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Re: Propaganda model
Oh man, I love that analogy.
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The thing that will be a problem is...
If you think that is not true, why does SPAM work? Because there are a (very) small percentage of clicks, so that has them send out more the get their volume...
Scary!
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strip-mining publishers' desperation
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Re: strip-mining publishers' desperation
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In fact, the new media companies today can't even have "As you are, we once were" applied to them. Because at least the dinosaurs made money at one point.
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Some places, like New York apparently, have laws making it illegal to copy the information in news.
http://techdirt.com/articles/20090225/0321273898.shtml
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Journalism
Every day at Fox News begins with emails from Roger Ailes about what to focus on and how to present it. Depending on Fox for any real news would be like depending upon life preservers made of toilet tissue.
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Re: Journalism
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From Fox News? Yes.
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You = a dumb redneck.
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Then the name calling; a very typical tactic for liberals. When you result to cursing, shouting or name calling, you have already lost your argument.
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iTunes for news
peace.
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PS: News accompanies our lives
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Re: PS: News accompanies our lives
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RE: Ron
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Public Policy re: IP laws
Great article! I think you got it exactly right when you said:
Seems to me this is the exact purpose of Intellectual Property law; to reward creators/inventors for sharing their ideas with the public. The concept being that the idea is much more valuable to society when it is shared.
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Re: Public Policy re: IP laws
So, where are the new business models that will support paying the creators of the stories we call news?
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