tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post3254465156760553168..comments2024-02-13T11:11:28.246+00:00Comments on Bishop Alan’s Blog: News: the March of TimeBishop Alan Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13879516755776951638noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-12440327201499845592009-11-03T11:08:22.024+00:002009-11-03T11:08:22.024+00:00“If this is supposed to be quality, why would I pa...“If this is supposed to be quality, why would I pay for these people’s take on stuff I don’t know anything about? I’d rather read people who do understand what they’re talking about...”<br /><br />But that's the real question, isn't it.<br />I used to choose my newspapers based on the reporting of information I did know something about and which I could judge, and I trusted that the same journalistic integrity would apply to topics I knew nothing about and which I could not judge.<br /><br />The real question is how, in our ever more complex world, do we find the experts we genuinely trust, or rather, knowing that there are just too many fields and we all also have our lives to lead - who do we trust to do this for us?<br /><br />If the newspapers no longer fulfil that function and if we all have to search our own pet suppliers of info on our pet issues, I fear we will end up becoming even more single issue focused than we already are, and most of the world will pass us by without us being able to make any sense of it.<br />How easy it will become to manipulate us?Erika Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01812376497361267014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-19664058111493782742009-11-03T07:16:35.051+00:002009-11-03T07:16:35.051+00:00Thanks, Mouse. I think the (mouse-like) ideaof mic...Thanks, Mouse. I think the (mouse-like) ideaof micro-charging is really interesting. Given the snippet style of a lot of newspaper content it might work better than expecting people to pay big annual subs. I think the FT model is interesting, but note its nursery slopes are very low cost. Also, FT info is pretty vital if you're in the money/ business business. I can't think a lot of the info in the Murdoch press is the kind of stuff people would pay for as info. If I really eanted to know Jordan's latest bra size, I think I'd just google it, not pay Mr Murdoch £250 a year. There are more valuable bits of info in the Murdoch stable, like Times law reports? But I believe that;s done another way these days.<br /><br />I would, indeed do, pay for the Church Times (as a trade rag) and would continue to do so online, as long as it didn't become silly expensive.<br /><br />I think the Murdoch charging model is fraught with dannger for his titles. I very much value Ruth G’s blog (and, in principle, her other work), but I'm not sure how much I'd pay to access it, given all the other good resources out there.<br /><br />As for the religion bits of the Telegraph, I enjoy trenchant intelligent Conservative comment, but find blogs like Cranmer (and in the more in-house sphere Kendall Harmon's or John Richardson's) infinitely more intelligent and well informed. All they ever seem to have in the Telegraph is silly vituperation, largely aimed by obscure reactonary RC's at other shades of RC. What is "the magic circle?" I ceased to care years ago. Most of my RC friends just find it embarrassing, and I can't make head or tail of the in jokes half the time and am repelled by the general tone of bitchiness. Pay for it? You must be joking.<br /><br />The whole charging thing is a fascinating experiment, John. I was trying to work out the other day whether the Standard does represent higher quality than the Metro, or whatever. Actually I think it did, a bit, still. I also suspect that in a year or so's time it will be the sole London freesheet, and will concentrate its distribution on a few premium City areas.<br /><br />Aunty comes out of all this rather well in some ways. Rather like the C of E, the Beeb is an institution people spend a certain amount of time kicking, but it does deliver the goods, seemingly in greater breadth and to a considerably higher quality and at very much lower cost, than a Murdoch paper. It also engages in local journalism in a very engaging and community focussed way. Particularly at a time the foundations of other journalistic pay models are heaving under them, I do think there's an argument for some stability and quality which favours the BBC.Bishop Alan Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13879516755776951638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-84229327113600775922009-11-02T23:35:22.488+00:002009-11-02T23:35:22.488+00:00I too was looking at the Evening Standard in Liver...I too was looking at the Evening Standard in Liverpool Street today and wondering why I was bothering to pick it up. I presume that next year Mr Murdoch will expect us to pay to read Ruth Gledhill's blog and filed articles in preference to free newspapers which are funded by advertising. <br /><br />You make a good case for greater quality. I just can't quite believe that we are going to reach for paypal to access online papers while offline newspapers slide towards free. And there's always aunty.co.uk which our license fees have already paid for.JohnGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00523464876239153536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7132206171945839649.post-88870382532365372252009-11-02T21:11:12.489+00:002009-11-02T21:11:12.489+00:00Bishop Alan
Interesting piece. Mouse is also inte...Bishop Alan<br /><br />Interesting piece. Mouse is also interested in the business of news. You mention the Evening Standard becoming a freesheet. Its interesting that this has happened under new ownership just as the previous evening freesheets are going bust. We're also seeing online news sites looking at micro-charging (i.e. charging a few pence for reading specific articles) rather than the current models of either wholly free content or subscription based charging.<br /><br />The challenge is how to maintain quality, whilst competing with lower quality, but free, online content.<br /><br />Mouse cannot help believe that high quality blogs (like Ruth Gledhill's) will obtain higher readerships than traditional newspapers. Some of the top political blogs are already competing seriously with broadsheets in terms of readership. They also make a decent living just from the blog.The Church Mousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10533337543955611592noreply@blogger.com