Build the Wall
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:
2) Summarise David Simon’s overall argument in 250 words.
David Simon is clarifying the fact that the news industry cannot go unpaid for; they need revenue to keep on functioning therefore suggests that paywall is needed for online publications. The high quality jounalism essentially cannot go unpaid. If the consumers do not realise this, the information that we consume might not be as of a good quality than it was so therefore, David Simon is essentially saying that there is need for a paywall with a subscription system in order to consume the news so that the news industry can be funded. Moreover, if the news industry isn't paid for what they give out, it will lose value so if people were to start paying for it, they will feel that the newspapers are worth and then they will start to value it more for the high quality journalism. Lastly, the news industry must be paid for as news is something that many people consume daily.
3) The New York Times added a paywall in 2011 - two years after David Simon's essay.
After David Simon's article, 2 years after, the NYT added a paywall and according to David Simon, the NYT was very successful due to their high quality journalism that went in-depth with the news and stories. Their paywall involved a subscription system where the consumers would pay to view 10 articles a month but when the free 10 articles was over, they would need to pay again.
4) The Washington Post followed with its own paywall in 2013. List one strength and oneweaknesses of newspaper paywalls that the article discusses.
One strength of having a paywall is that the consumers will then value the news more than they did as they feel that if they pay for it, it is something important to them.
One weakness of having a paywall is that the news industry would lose a huge amount of readers as some of them might not be willing to pay for it.
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 article does not mention as much negative aspects of the influence that the new digital media has on the internet but looks at more of the positives to show how the positives are still more valued.
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?
Overall, in my opinion, I slightly do agree in the sense that the news content that is put online, they will need revenue to continue to put high quality, in-depth journalism.
1) Summarise each section in one sentence:
- Section 1 (To all of the bystanders reading this…)
This section discusses how the news content should be paid for.
- Section 2 (Truth is, a halting movement toward...)
Looks at how we need a paywall.
- Section 3 (Beyond Mr. Sulzberger and Ms. Weymouth…)
This section shows the positives and negatives of paywall and how the news revenue has changed since 1995.
- Section 4 (For the industry, it is later than it should be…)
This section discusses the scenarios that might take place if they are to have the paywall.
2) Summarise David Simon’s overall argument in 250 words.
David Simon is clarifying the fact that the news industry cannot go unpaid for; they need revenue to keep on functioning therefore suggests that paywall is needed for online publications. The high quality jounalism essentially cannot go unpaid. If the consumers do not realise this, the information that we consume might not be as of a good quality than it was so therefore, David Simon is essentially saying that there is need for a paywall with a subscription system in order to consume the news so that the news industry can be funded. Moreover, if the news industry isn't paid for what they give out, it will lose value so if people were to start paying for it, they will feel that the newspapers are worth and then they will start to value it more for the high quality journalism. Lastly, the news industry must be paid for as news is something that many people consume daily.
3) The New York Times added a paywall in 2011 - two years after David Simon's essay.
After David Simon's article, 2 years after, the NYT added a paywall and according to David Simon, the NYT was very successful due to their high quality journalism that went in-depth with the news and stories. Their paywall involved a subscription system where the consumers would pay to view 10 articles a month but when the free 10 articles was over, they would need to pay again.
4) The Washington Post followed with its own paywall in 2013. List one strength and oneweaknesses of newspaper paywalls that the article discusses.
One strength of having a paywall is that the consumers will then value the news more than they did as they feel that if they pay for it, it is something important to them.
One weakness of having a paywall is that the news industry would lose a huge amount of readers as some of them might not be willing to pay for it.
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 article does not mention as much negative aspects of the influence that the new digital media has on the internet but looks at more of the positives to show how the positives are still more valued.
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?
Overall, in my opinion, I slightly do agree in the sense that the news content that is put online, they will need revenue to continue to put high quality, in-depth journalism.
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