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Journalism and Freedom (cont,)

I wanted to make a separate post to further discuss The Wall Street Journal article Government assistance is a greater threat to the press than any new technology by Rupert Murdoch.

After taking a break and really thinking about the content Murdoch presents raised many questions in my mind.

-Why would the government want to do this?

-The government have other, more important things to worry about. Why would they want to become directly involved in commercial journalism? Do they have something to hide?

So the newspaper might be changing. Does the taxpayer really have to fund the journalists? Do we really need to make newspapers non-profits? Maybe I am too young and don't understand how the world works, but people will always want news.

I'm not sure if I went about this article in the correct way but my interpretation was the government might be taking over the news industry because the industry is 'going under' due to the new technology.

Americans want and need news. So now they get it a different way. Every industry has to change with the 'times' at some point. Some prosper and some fade out, but news will prosper again.

Journalism and Freedom: An Opinon Piece on a Wall Stree Journal Article

Original Article Journalism and Freedom Government assistance is a greater threat to the press than any new technology By: Rupert Murdoch

**(A note to the reader. I set this post up differently to ensure that the message is easy to understand. After taking an Internet Communications class (which this particular assignment is for) I've learned there are many different ways to get or more importantly not get readers attention when reading Websites. You might like this or may not-just something different.)





"...and the triumph of digital is to blame." Before going into further detail can you determine what this article is about? Here is a hint, Communications Journalism which just happens to be my major.

"From the beginning, newspapers have prospered for one reason: the trust that comes from representing their readers' interests and giving them the news that's important to them." Newspapers sales have declined. If you don't know how to use a computer now, you might want to because everything is digital. Billboards, magazines and now newspapers are all digital and online. The news has not changed in fact, you can receive you news almost as it happens.

Today's news consumers do not want to be chained to a box in their homes or offices to get their favorite news and entertainment and our plan includes the needs of the next wave of TV viewing by going mobile." I am only 21 years old, but I can still remember waking up on a Sunday morning to see both my parents at the kitchen table with the newspaper split into their favorite sections. My brother and I would argue who got the cartoon section even though most of the time the jokes went right over our heads. However, when I wake up now on a Sunday morning both my parents are sitting at the kitchen table each with a laptop and cup of coffee. In each of our lives this 'change' is affecting each of us differently. At one time news traveled around and a person might not even hear about something until they watched the TV, but now with the technology we can receive our news immediately on our cell phones or Internet. Is this positive or negative? In my opinion and from the article's author, it is a good thing. The media, specifically newspapers, will change to match the changes in technology. If they do not-they will not exist anymore. Why have people taken to this new type of news source? No one wants to sit down and watch a news program anymore. The kids have homework, mom and dads working late and going online is the easiest way to get the news is looking up the stories that interest you or relate to you rather than listening to a whole news program.

"In the new business model, we will be charging consumers for the news we provide on our Internet sites." Bluntly, I disagree. We don't pay for TV news, why would we pay for online? There are many different sites and bloggers that also give out information. Are they the NYTimes or Wall Street Journals, no, but the information will get out there.

"The prospect of the U.S. government becoming directly involved in commercial journalism ought to be chilling for anyone who cares about freedom of speech." This scares me. The thought of not having the right to free speech, as many other countries don't have, just makes my stomach churn. The founding fathers created the First Amendment because they had no say when American was ruled by England. To have our government take that away from the American people would cause chaos

Just remember that the American people need their news. The way we get our news is changing and most likely will change again, but there will always be a need for it and its writers. A perfect ending from Rupert Murdoch: "The future of journalism is more promising than ever."