‘How to sink a newspaper’
By Andrew Grant-Adamson • May 16th, 2007 • Category: Journalism, News Agencies, Newspapers, online newsIt is time for newspapers to reconsider the ultimate costs and consequences of free news, Walter E Hussman, publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, argues in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.
He presents a cogent case for not giving away news on the web but, I fear, it is too late to put the genie back in the bottle. (via Lostremote)
Responding to another journalist, Doug Clifton, retiring editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, making the case for paid content, Howard Owens, says:
The choice isn’t between breaking with tradition and start charging for news (because it’s always been free to readers) and getting more advertising (and more for advertising). The only real choice is advertising. And the only way advertising is going to pay the bills is to get more online readers. And that isn’t going to happen if we start charging for content.
Please, let’s stop talking about how to bilk our readers and concentrate on building web sites they’ll want to make a habit. My question for Mr. Clifton is what contribution has he made to that end?
Andrew Grant-Adamson is Andrew Grant-Adamson is a journalist who now teaches a new generation of writers, subs and editors at the University of Westminster.
Email this author | All posts by Andrew Grant-Adamson
The BBC is trying out embedded Flash video on its news site and a very welcome development it is. One of the items is a report on a Gloucestershire family that tried out all the latest new media gi… ‘How to sink a newspaper’ It is time for newspapers to reconsider the ultimate costs and consequences of free news, Walter E Hussman, publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, argues in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece…
Thanks for link. Also, if you search my site for “Hussman,” you’ll find a post in direct response to his WSJ piece.
Thanks, Howard, for the extra information. The link for anyone who would like to read his full response his here.
Pergunta-se: será que já não é muito tarde para isso?Via WordBlog