Business & Finance

Are you willing to pay for the news? The future of journalism may depend on it



French lawmakers recently implemented it Tax credits for citizens subscribe to news outlets. Similarly, other governments around the world are funding news media either directly or indirectly. They took an important step towards funding journalism, but these models are at odds with the First Amendment in America, which guarantees coverage for free from government intervention.

This freedom is important to enable news media to criticize and curb the US government. So, in a time when access to accurate information is no longer important, members of the American public must make the decision to invest in journalism.

So why are Americans reluctant to pay for the high quality news they need?

Americans’ trust in news media has historically reached Low level. Americans are also increasingly recognised by news media It is biased towards a specific political party. Most often, Americans tend to think that news media is biased towards their political parties and beliefs. Hostile media effects. These results may be linked to two important things. It is an increase in political rhetoric that continually question the accuracy of news, and a biased public perception of what is accurate.

Let’s first consider what constitutes “media” and how it is discussed by the political elite. The term “media” is often used as a selective, comprehensive slander. This applies to news outlets that disagree with their own views. Politicians and experts, especially conservatives, have worked in recent years to create a common enemy: news media. I have Trump I attacked repeatedly News organizations, and Fox The news is often criticized.”Mainstream media. “Of course, the irony is that Fox’s news is Most widely consumed Cable news networks are placed fairly straightforward as part of mainstream media. American journalists as the enemy of the American people are increasing the positioning of rhetoric that has already exacerbated low levels of trust and makes the spread of accurate information even more difficult.

The second point to consider is how Americans have become very cynical about news content. Well-intentioned educators and friends encourage students and acquaintances to be skeptical and critical of the media they consume. While critical views of the media are important, Americans should be skeptical and critical of their belief systems. Otherwise it often leads to Confirmation biasindividuals do not like to encounter divergent perspectives, so they choose information that agrees with their beliefs. Because many Americans have learned to criticize the content of the media, but not their own beliefs, such skepticism can lead to an easy rejection of unpleasant but accurate information.

So, where does this leave the future of American journalism? It must begin with an emphasis on the importance of accurate reporting. The American founders understand the need for a free and independent press, and must acknowledge that for democracy to function, this important entity must continue to exist and thrive.

Americans then have to consider what information they evaluate and why. If we only consume information that agrees with our perspective, we allow misinformation to ramp out and use immoral actors. We need to be open to new perspectives (even the challenging ones), and those perspectives need to be in fact rooted.

But the important part of this is that Americans must be willing to pay for their news. Good journalism is expensive. For the media to operate in a capitalist-led democracy, people must pay for content that achieves their goal of being well-informed.

When news consumption moved primarily to online distribution, newspapers were unable to establish a functional business model that could accommodate the upcoming decline in hard copy ads and subscriptions. Even when newspapers finally got online, they discovered that online ads and subscriptions tend to be far away Not that advantageous. Certainly, some modern news organizations have found ways to generate the revenue needed for good journalism, but the possibility that other publications will continue to exist, particularly the very important local outlets, are based on the purchasing power of consumers.

Without commitment and sustainable investment from the American people, local journalism could cease to exist. That’s true for small and medium-sized newspapers across the country. Integration or discontinuation Partly because of ownership decisions, but also because Americans chose to receive their news. Aggregation format (like Google News, Facebook, Twitter). These aggregators rely on local news sources to collect content, but revenues derived from other means such as advertising and selling user data are not shared (or not shared fairly) with the initiator of the information.

Data consistently shows that Americans are I’m happy to pay online media. We may not be able to hit our eyes Netflix Add Disney+ to your subscription price or online services. So why do we tremble at the idea of ​​paying for quality journalism? News consumers are getting used to free access to news content. We expect it to continue to be free as we are spoiled by news content that is available for free. an Anchor effect The rise in news prices seemed big, despite newspaper subscriptions often not just for Netflix subscriptions.

If Americans want to receive high quality and accurate information, they should be willing to pay for it. Online ads are often purchased for just a small portion of the price of print ads, so advertising revenue is not enough to support news operations. Direct government funding creates a conflict of interest. Non-commercial status and tax exemptions primarily encourage contributions from the wealthiest individuals and businesses. Each of these models itself cannot guarantee that American journalism will last. Independent watchdog of government and other people in power. Instead, Americans must pay for their news content to support this important element of our democracy.

With this information, it is difficult to decide which news organization to support. The following strategies should help news consumers make these decisions.

  • Think about where you get your news. Are you choosing information just because it agrees with you? Don’t do that. Choose a news source that does more than simply cater to a partisan audience.
  • Make sure you distinguish between news and commentary. Good news organizations should clearly distinguish what news is and what it is from what its opinions are.
  • Check the use of news organization sources. Are the sources they use in their news articles reliable and considered experts in their field? Keep in mind: Experts are often non-politicians.
  • Look for journalistic standards. Good news organizations need codes of ethics or clear reporting guidelines posted on their websites.
  • If you find information on social media or on news aggregators, first make sure that the information comes from a legitimate news organization (using other steps listed here). Next, you will visit the website of the news organization that created the original content and ensure that you earn advertising revenue for that content.
  • Read the full article, not just headlines (or Facebook posts and tweets). Detailed reports provide more context. This is part of why it’s worth paying.
  • Get news from multiple sources. Try choosing at least one local, national, and international outlet. And don’t be afraid to use their work to check Fact Check Site.

And importantly, if you use this list to help you choose the news organization you like, you are willing to help you with your work by paying for content.

Jennifer Heue and Brett Sherrick are assistant professors at the Brian Lamb correspondence school at Purdue University.

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This story was originally introduced Fortune.com


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