If Murdoch has any sway over the next direction that business goes (and I think he does), we here at user-generated content sites like OpEdNews, Huffington Post, and other sites may need to prepare ourselves to defend what we do.
It seems like one thing about paying for news is that Americans may actually think that guarantees the news they are getting is accurate and, more importantly, worth reading.
Constantly, I hear others say anybody can have a blog or write an article so how do you know what they are saying is valuable information or not?
Once Murdoch and other supercapitalists get people paying regularly for news, the democratized structure will shift. Income inequality will not just affect people in reality but in virtual reality too.
If people pay for news, surely, others will line up to start charging for email, instant messages, blog postings, and maybe even search engine use, etc.
It may be that all Internet news sites will cost those who read it money. Donations may be required so that sites can continue to exist in the long term.
But, donations are different than having to make a transaction for an edition of the news every single day. And, also, when you put a price on news, ultimately, you have to begin to ask what sells and what does it.
You can't commodify the truth. Users must stand up against any calls to put a price tag on the spread of information and truth on the Internet.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
2
2
2
