Sandy GholstonNews Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch believes that at some point in the future we will have to pay up to read our “favorite newspaper(s)” on the Internet. To some extent, I think Murdoch could prove to be correct. I suspect many newspapers (those that do not die) are going to attempt to charge readers for online news content. Printing newspapers is becoming increasingly expensive and many papers are either folding or cutting back the number of days they’re printing physical newspapers. More and more, people are going online to find their news.
MURDOCH: You’re going to have to pay for your favorite newspaper on the Web. (Free content online) is going to stop. Newspapers will be selling subscriptions on the Web. The whole thing (premium content) will be there. The Web as it is today will be vastly improved, they’ll be much in them and you’ll pay for them.
Sure, newspapers could attempt such an approach. But, what that might open up is an opportunity for citizen journalists – particularly in larger cities. You will still be able to get your news for free on the radio, television and with blogs. Radio, television and bloggers (who will always be able to find content to blog about) could be helped most by newspapers attempting to charge for what previously has been (for the most part) free content. Newspapers are banking on people being willing to pay for (online) what they are not as willing to pay for right now (in print).
Time will tell what happens with a newspaper industry that is in serious trouble right now, and desperately seeking some answers in an increasingly technological world.
Those hard-working men and women running newspaper printing presses (and the people making the deliveries to stores and coin boxes) are the ones who could be in trouble in the years to come.
It’s difficult right now to say what will happen in the newspaper industry.
These are scary times for journalists.
Huffington Post:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/28/murdochs-newspaper-predic_n_208821.html
