English Reflection 1 – The Year of the Paywall
When I read
the article my first thought was why anyone doesn’t want to pay for their
newspapers. It doesn’t matter if it is on your computer, phone or in your hand.
But when I gave it a second thought I realized that me myself is very
conservative about this kind of stuff. I rather read the newspaper holding it
in a paper copy than scrolling it on the computer or in my phone. But as the society
changes so does the way we modify our habits and the people adjust to it. It’s
about the need of information, you can be updated all the time and don’t have
to wait to the next issue of the paper to get the latest new.
I think the
digital newspaper is a great way to spread the news of today. The availability
to the readers that now can read the morning news on their way to work, instead
at the breakfast table to save time and keep updated all the time. It seems also be a huge benefit for the
companies in the newspaper business, in reducing the paper consumptions and the
print costs.
But from where
comes the revenues? In the end someone has to pay for the free lunch and when
the newspaper business tends to be eradicated, these companies have to do
something about it. So why don’t charge the users for the services they offer,
like any other business does? I think the Paywalls phenomenon isn’t such bad
thing. The newspapers have just got another shape, why shouldn’t costumers pay
for the benefits they received.
Hi Victoria. You had some interesting thoughts about the fast paced evolution in the society regarding to the newspaper industry. I think the major issue was that the newspapers could not get revenues from ads online as they did before which makes them set up the paywall. I agree with you from an ethical standpoint about the paywalls. If you´re consuming a service that someone else made you should pay for it (unless you´re the product being sold ;). Unfortunately for the online newspapers with paywalls its not so alluring paying for something if you can get it for free, and I think most of us are that way. I don´t think that newspapers are going to have a hard time retaining current customers that already are subscribers and read the newspapers in printed versions (because they are already paying for the printed subscription regardless of the paywalls). The problem for the newspapers are rather to attract new customers with the paywalls if they´re going to survive.
SvaraRaderaInterestering thoughts with modification of the society. Everyone now say that they rather want to hold a newspaper in their hand when reading the news than reading online. But as you said it is because of the habits we have and it will change as the progess of the society evolves. Further I agree with the statement that quality news costs money.
SvaraRadera