NDM: the effect of online technology on newspapers

Based on the handout you've read and the links provided, answer these questions on your blog with detailed, in-depth paragraphs. Remember, critical autonomy means forming your own opinions on these issues.

1) Do you agree with James Murdoch that the BBC should not be allowed to provide free news online? Why?
- I think that the BBC should be allowed to give out free news since they in a sense already get the people who watch the BBC to pay for the content. So in that sense it would not make sense as they are already profiting with people who have TV's in their room. Also, it would not benefit those who cannot afford to will miss out on the opportunity to be able to access the news and in result they will look for a different news outlet to read news as they offer it for free.

2) Read this blog on the Times paywall three years on (note this is the UK Times - not the New York Times!)
- 'The digital subscription model is not a solution to those existential problems. To convince people to "pay for news" does not remove a £28 million loss overnight or even in five years.'
3) Was Rupert Murdoch right to put his news content (The Times, The Sunday Times) behind a paywall?
- I think that Rupert Murdoch was right to put his content behind a paywall as it seemed to work well. Within the first half of 2013 they had gained 13,000 new subscribers which means a monthly acquisition of 2,100. In total they amassed 140,000 paying subscribers. Which goes to show that there are people who are willing to pay for their news and this adds to the quality of news the news.

4) Choose two comments from below the Times paywall article - one that argues in favour of the paywall and one that argues against. Copy a quote from each and explain which YOU agree with and why.


I'd put my money on The Times when it comes to UK-based newspapers. The Times, more than any other paper, is more ready for a printless future, should it arise, as they just need to migrate users, in relatively low numbers. to the digital subscription. And it is having an almighty practice run to get it right. It doesn't need to create the vast volumes of (crap) content that the Mail does and it has a very strong brand argument to ad buyers."
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"It is so ridiculous if these mainstream newspapers believe that they can "force readership of fee-based news. One can get the same "news" for free almost anywhere on the internet. I'd take a hint from the alternative free weeklies that survive just off their local advertising. I don't think anyone would read them otherwise. These papers are full of paid advertising. The fee model will never work."


I agree with the second comment as it talks about how people can receive the same news for free anywhere else, which readers are more likely to go to than having to pay. So despite getting some money from a paywall, there will always be the problem of people not reading because there is news still accessible for free elsewhere.

5) Read this article from the Media Briefing on the continuing decline of the newspaper industry.
6) Why do you think the Evening Standard has bucked the trend and increased circulation and profit in the last two years?
- The evening standard has bucked the trend and increased circulation and profit in the last two years by increasing their circulation from 700,000 to 900,000 however during that time the Standard actually lost 83,000 of their readers (5% of its readers) over that period of that time.

7) Is there any hope for the newspaper industry or will it eventually die out? Provide a detailed response to this question explaining and justifying your opinion.
- I think that the newspaper industry will eventually die out as the people who used to enjoy the news are slowly not going to be a part of the target market. The world is changing increasingly as it becomes more technology based and the people are accessing everything through things like their mobile phones and tablets etc. There are ways in which they can maintain their business for a while longer but eventually they will become pointless. News will turn to online publishing and will have to rely more on advertising companies.