The Decline of News Paper Industry (2)

Read the article in full and create a blogpost on your MEST3 Exam Blog called 'Build The Wall analysis'.

1) Summarise each section in one sentence:

• Section 1 (To all of the bystanders reading this…)

The writer states that the only way to combat the decline of the newspaper industry is to place back value into the concept of newspaper by putting up a subscription.

• Section 2 (Truth is, a halting movement toward...)

This gradually movement will cause other micro newspaper companies to follow as they realise the foolishness of giving away free content and monetisation is better

• Section 3 (Beyond Mr. Sulzberger and Ms. Weymouth…)

Consumers have become too comfortable with the concept of receiving paided resourced for free and this specific concept directly effects the failing revenue of the newspaper industry.

• Section 4 (For the industry, it is later than it should be…)

This section of the article speaks upon how the effects of the many steps that the newspaper has taken in pass decade cannot be reversed or fixed however it the writer strongly changes towards the way the newspaper monetised can stabilise the industry.

2) Summarise David Simon’s overall argument in 250 words.

Similar to many other writers and critics of the newspaper industry, David Simon's states that the newspaper industry is rapidly and progressively dying as time goes on.

Simon mentions many times throughout the article that this is due to the people with the power and resources within the industry are hardly concerned with the rapid decline of the revenue coming in from the newspaper industry but rather how they can keep it alive and running with nay means such as free content, access and resources.

David Simon is highly against this and suggests a concept which he proposes can he bring in more consumers whilst rapidly increasing the revenue. Simon believes that the subscription fee should be in placed, starting off with the two giants of the american newspaper industry, The Times and The Washington Post. Simon uses statistics such as the number of consumers (10 million) used by the two major companies to emphasises on how influential these two are and how they can pull off monetisation. 

Lastly, Simon also is concerned over the lack of response and action presented by those in power such as Rupert Murdoch as the decline of the industry is effecting the careers and relevance found within journalism.

3) The New York Times added a paywall in 2011 - two years after David Simon's essay. Read this summary of the New York Times's paywall - why does the writer suggest the NYT's paywall was successful?

Firstly, The New York times has been able to make a success of the paywall as it produces quality content and information that is valued and trusted by its consumers. In addition, the status of the 'New York Times' is highly regarded and deemed as trustworthy. Interestingly, around 13 percent of it users are located outside of the united states which is means the net has opened up a new crowd and consumers for the newspaper company. However, how to increase revenue is a current problem for the company as the generate just over 200 millions which is enough to produce and sustain itself, however doesn't leave room for much else.

4) The Washington Post followed with its own paywall in 2013. Read this article about the launch of the Post's paywall. List one strength and oneweaknesses of newspaper paywalls that the article discusses.  

The agreement against paywalls is that the consumers believe it the limits the creativity and drive produced by the journalists however a counterargument to this that the paywall only looks for those who are deeply invested and interested in the company and their high quality content. 

5) Read this Guardian comment by AC Grayling piece on the state of journalism that was published the year before David Simon's essay. What references to new and digital media can you find in AC Grayling's argument? Overall, do you feel the comment piece is positive or negative about the influence of new/digital media on the newspaper industry?

The Referenced to new and digital media are when it discusses the impact that citizen journalism has on the news industry, as it mentions that many piece of online resources such as blogs have made way onto the articles produced. In addition, AC Gray-ling also mentions the positives and the negatives of the influence of new and digital media has on the newspaper industry, such as users have a much more influence and control on the process and outcome of the article which didn't entirely exist within the print industry. Lastly, it speaks on  the negatives within the paragraph regarding "the anonymous viciousness and sneering, the ad hominem attacks, the paragraph-long pretensions to authoritativeness, the degrading of debate it freely permits" stating that the media due to the changes of the digital platform means that there is a smaller presence politically and influentially in the western world than ever.

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.

Through the mass of articles i have read and critics i have listened to within these posts, i have found myself within the middle of grounds of being neutral within this debate.

I agree that a different marketing approach towards the industry will help stabilise the declining rate of the newspaper short-termly,however i believe the need and want for the newspaper industry within this day and age cannot be returned as much as we try. I believe it is still here for only traditional and cultural preservation.