A Free Newspaper?

In Leonard Downie Jr. and Michael Schudson blog, The Reconstruction of American Journalism, they talk about the change of newspapers to the digital age of Internet.

"Larger newspapers are seriously looking into ways to seek payment for at least some of the news they put online." Why shouldn't they? Newspapers should be charging viewers for the newspaper online. Yes, Internet is free, but there are some sites that you may not read the rest of the story until you have paid.

If the newspapers give the regular subscribers a username and password they would be able to use that and get their newspaper online, but others would need to put in other information. "Whether 'information wants to be free' on the Internet has become a highly charged, contentious issue, somewhat out of proportion to how much money may be at stake or its potential impact on news reporting."

Because the newspapers are publishing their newspaper online for free, they are loosing profits and having to cut employees and trainings. People who have Internet are now able to view their local newspaper online for nothing, so they no longer purchase the local newspaper.

"As newspapers sharply reduce their staffs and news reporting to cut costs and survive, they also reduce their value to their readers and communities."