Recently, we studied how the media affects our political culture and why it is sometimes called the fourth branch of government. The media's influence on politics has always affected how we view our politicians; from the times of the penny press, FDR's fireside chats and the televised Kennedy/Nixon debates. However, it is now possible that some major cities will soon no longer have a newspaper.
In a recent cover story, Times author Walter Issacon notes that although readership is on the rise, fewer consumers are paying. According to a Pew Research study, more people got their news online for free last year, than paid for it by buying newspapers and magazines. The newspapers, which traditionally have counted on sales from subscriptions and newsstands are now only relying on advertising dollars, thus making the content beholden to the advertisers themselves.
Walter Issacon makes a case for charging for the news we access. Whether we pay an online subscription fee for the newspaper of our choice, or we are simply charged a "user fee" for each article we access, Issacon stresses that charging for content might just be the only way to save our newspapers.
You are all creative students, who produce artistic content that I am sure you would like to get paid for, yet at the same time, I am sure many of your access news for free off of the Internet. So my question to you this week is, "Do you think we should be charged for the news we access, and if so, with what kind of fee?". Answers are due Sunday, March 8th, 2009 by 6:00 p.m.
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