The article, Build The Wall, is available here on the Columbia Journalism Review website.
3) Summarise each section in one sentence:
- Section 1 (To all of the bystanders reading this…)
This section of the article talks about how the fall in the newspaper industry has brought about a panic and can not only be saved by the higher class newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post as all the rest of the journalist and in the panic to spread all their news online. Also talking about how newspapers are shutting down everyday therefore over 2 dozen reporters are being fired from their newspaper industry everyday.Talks about the importance of content in newspapers and that newspapers must cost and if you do not find a way to make people pay for the work you are in work terms delusional. David Simon states the paywall is a necessity and that if online newspapers should have a subscription fee. - Section 2 (Truth is, a halting movement toward...)
David Simon goes on to discuss Rupert Murdoch's idea of not to do The Wall Street Journal online for free as well as considering an online subscription model for the less unique publications speaks volumes. He also states how Rupert Murdoch as well as the desperate and starving newspaper chains would follow The Times and The Post as it is these newspapers in charge. If these newspapers do not agree with anything, it is likely for nothing to happen. He also discusses the difficulties of going behind a pay wall as their is always going to be a free newspaper elsewhere that provides the same news stories for free. Therefore no newspaper can go behind the paywall without it eventually going bust as readers would most prefer free news. More of the public are reading the Times (nearly 20 million average unique visitors monthly) and the Post (more than 10 million monthly unique visitors). Compares the newspaper industry with television - talks about how paying the TV revenue wouldn't have been thinkable 30 years ago but it slowly came into plan and increased as more channels, bundles and TV packages came into place ; the more channels etc the more people would pay. - Section 3 (Beyond Mr. Sulzberger and Ms. Weymouth…)
Firstly, talks about how in 1995 The Baltimore Sun newspaper said that by putting the information on the internet young individuals would come across it by 'surfing the net' and therefore read it and then want to read more by going out and buying the newspaper. At the time it sounded comical however that is exactly what happened. Secondly, goes on to discuss how by putting the news on the internet costs for advertising and may loose a few readers it works out cheaper and more beneficial than door to door deliveries. - Section 4 (For the industry, it is later than it should be…)This section talks about the scenarios on whether The Times and The Post build the paywall. Firstly, he states that both The Times and The Posts' revenue streams would be balanced by advertising etc. They are reassured that they can risk going behind the paywall without local readers getting free national, international, and cultural reporting from the national papers, and having seen that the paid-content formula can work. Secondly, In those cities where regional papers collapse, the vacuum creates an opportunity for new, online subscription-based news organizations that cover state and local issues, sports, and finance, generating enough revenue to maintain a slim—but paid—metro desk. Again, given the absence of circulation costs, such an outcome becomes, by conservative estimates, entirely possible.
5) Choose three comments from below the article, and explain whether they agree or disagree with David Simon’s argument and why.
- "Please do this. Authoritative resources are being lost in the wikipedia world. One mst go around the world to find authoritative on the groud reporting. I would pay for it, no question."
This individual agree's with David Simon's argument. The reason for this is because they believe that information online is mostly being shared through Wikipedia, this is a disadvantage as Wikipedia is a user generated site therefore the information shared on it is not particularly true. However if newspapers were online - even if behind the paywall - it would be much easier to access it and at least the authoritative resources would be up to date and considerably true therefore making the money going to towards it worthwhile. Furthermore, although many believe it would be the uperclass buying the newspapers online I believe this individual is education but is from the working class, this is because she has misspelled many words and is not speaking in proper English. - "I will never pay for “news” again. Most news is not truly news - it is sensationalism, hype and deception. Most news is not balanced - every editor is biased. And it is not just that - I truly can not afford to pay for news. Academics, especially with tenure, got it made in the shade and may be able to afford to follow the “news” as they are funded and it does not come out of their pockets. The question comes down to this - do we want an informed public or not. The answer, at least right now, is no. If the public were truly properly informed the American people would not allow Wall Street to gut Main Street, would not believe the lies of “the terrorists are going to destroy our way of life” and would understand that it really makes no difference - except in perception - of who holds the title of chief cheerleader - oops I mean Commander in Chief, President, which should be renamed CEO of America Incorporated."
This individual goes against David Simons argument as he believes that news is biased as well as untrue therefore it is not worth it to be spending so much online. He also states that he can not afford it, therefore suggesting that he can find news from other resources for free.
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.
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