Some internetters are simply revelling in the financial collapse yesterday of the Tribune newspaper operation. The same online keyboarders are joyful that the NY Times has had to secure their operation by pledging the worth of their NYC edifice to their publishing cause. This blogger thinks that thinking is pretty shortsighted. Those print operations are slowly morphing into online services but they still have to figure out how to keep the wolf away from the door. They need to find the secret to monitizing their online presentation. If they don't make a buck where do the investigative journalists and the thinkers get paid to operate? How are the secrets within government operations uncovered? How do we find out who the bad guys really are? Where do the onliners like me get all the stuff they link to and comment on?
As devout news consumers we'll have to 'buy' those important services somehow. Maybe it can't be done with just advertising anymore. Maybe we newsjunkies will have to suscribe to a series of online newsletters. Maybe we'll get the police blotter stuff and obits online and have to suscribe to a higher tier for the rest.
Its not really fun for this longtime newsy watching quality print operations, like the WDT, struggling. But it will continue. We need that writing and editing. We really do. But as they diminish so do we. Sean Hennessy posted five items below this one.
Three of items originated from prime members of the fourth estate.
Here is a prime example of my logic. The WDT's Tom Wanamaker reported in today's edition that upstate NYS Senate Democrats will have a voice. Click for it. Whether you like the message or not newsies like me need that kind of reporting.
Ted Ford
