The technology is already at hand to bring mass customization to the “news industry”, all that is lacking is the right business model.
Wouldn’t it be slick if each reader could identify topics of interest and preferred (and non-preferred) sources and have a customized news and information summary prepared just for them? For example, I might say I would like to read certain authors from Politico, but never anything by Bob Beckel, and it would be so. Igoogle is a step in this direction.
“Why Pay for Lies” indeed! I think many of us are not so much against paying for content as we are in paying for content that we judge to be horse manure. And so we “graze” for free across many websites looking for information and credible reportage and provide financial support to none (except FR, of course!). And thus the industry is in decline. But it’s not because of a lack of demand, but rather for the lack of a suitable business model that provides value in the eyes of the consumer.
The only newspaper to which I still subscribe is the Wall Street Journal which is a VERY good newspaper. I get several mailed solicitations every year from both the Washington Post and the New York Times. I always take these times as opportunities to inflict my little measure of cost on to these progressive rags. These solicitations ALWAYS contain prepaid return envelopes and I ALWAYS mail back these prepaid envelopes with some random piece of paper (usually something received in other junk mail or something from a conservative publication) inserted.
The Wash Post or NYT will have to pay postage for these non-productive return mailings. I know that this may be considered somewhat childish, but these “microscopic” cost bleedings add to their other costs and will contribute to the eventual demise of these despicable “news” organizations. I encourage others to do the same when they receive these unsolicited mailings.
I hear that some of those coupon delivery systems are wrapped in news stories. Never bother with them, but they work great for starting the fireplace and lining the birdcage.
After a life time in the printing business (technical not journalist field) I cannot help from experiencing schadenfreude from the demise of most of the MSM however that ill advised joy is tempered by a deep concern that no dependable, trustworthy entity will take up the responsibility of watchdog over our various levels of government.
Too many half truths come from both sides, albeit the left has mastered this Saul Alinsky approach and the right falls into the same dishonest trap too frequently.
How can we ever expect a fair and balanced journalist to come from years of public schooling dominated by communist union teachers and universities with self avowed communist/Marxist professors? It is a unique individual who can get past all that brain washing and maintain an unbiased approach to journalism.
Unfortunately, we have come to a point where, in addition to thousands of biased journalists, we have the technology to render even photos and documents (like birth certificates)highly suspect such that conspiracies have more power than truth.
For decades/centuries governments have been lying to their citizens. The founders tried to give us a tool via Freedom of the Press to uncover those lies. The alleged profession of journalism has failed us miserably and have become a tool of the Marxist of the world and have been able somehow to convince enough people to ignore all of history which shows Marxism to be not only a complete failure but a tool of mass murders as well.
Journalists must have no shame to be able to do this on a daily basis. They should share in the blame for all the evil governments inflict upon their citizens.
The only thing I’ll miss about these liberal rags is just what am I going to do now for cheap liner for my bird cage???