I’ve noticed this trend recently, and I’m guessing the same is happening to any of you who occasionally browse the news online: you click on an article of interest and moments later you’re hit by a pay wall asking for $1, $4/month or other.
If you’re like me, your next step will be to leave the site and look for other sources. Here are the problems with this:
- Paying for media selects out those who can’t afford it: disproportionately affecting low-income individuals.
- Paywalls divert interested readers to other (less reputable) sources — providing an opportunity for misinformation to be spread.
I got to thinking about this recently as I’ve noticed my options for news dwindling. Especially in a time where people are seeking truth and accuracy, it seems to me that this particular model has some fairly catastrophic pitfalls. When did ad revenue become a problem?
I’m not claiming to be an expert in media — but I get the impression that reputable journalism is founded on seeking out the truth in as accurate a form as possible. Does putting up a pay wall leave open the gates for untruthful media? Obviously I’m ignoring a lot of counter points here — I’m just looking to prompt discussion and thought.
~D
