Posted on 06/13/2010 1:45:12 PM PDT by abb
Theres basically zero popular support for several already unlikely initiatives the FTC is looking into in order to support the reinvention of journalism. Rasmussen Reports polled 1,000 people on whether they would support proposalslike a tax on consumer electronics to help news organizations or a taxpayer-funded program to support young journalists through AmeriCorpsand the answer was a decisive no. A monthly tax on cell phone bills? 90 percent no! A tax on consumer electronic devices? 84 percent no! The young reporter program? 70 percent no! A White House commission to help save journalism jobs? 55 percent no! (Via MediaPost)
Most respondents seemed to think that news organizations would be fine without government help, with 58 percent saying they were confident that online and other news sources will make up the difference if many newspapers go out business.
Other proposals in the FTC report include additional IP rights to support claims against aggregators, antitrust exemptions so that new organizations can jointly put up paywalls and a national fund for local news. Rasmussen didnt ask about those. The proposals will be talked about at a roundtable discussion at the National Press Club next week.
bump
Nice post. How is Tonto doing?
You are assuming that the business Newswire Journalism is in is the one they say they are in. Their business model depends on interesting the public and flattering its audience that its product defines the public interest. But interesting the public and being in the public interest are two entirely different things.Claiming to be objective is a central element in their claim to represent the public interest. But there's a funny thing about that - claiming to be objective is the opposite of actually trying to be objective.
The bottom line is that wire service journalism is inevitably tendentious.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/business/media/14ftc.html?ref=business
Government Takes On Journalisms Next Chapter
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/business/media/14cache.html
Other Countries Newspapers Are Faring Better Than U.S. Counterparts
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/weary_king_eyes_ny_return_ae4dYZoaO2rsdVy2DLAG9O
Weary Larry King eyes NY return
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/newsday_union_troubles_face_impasse_ZwvhnAMGinsnZaQbjEL7zH
Newsday’s union troubles face impasse: Cablevision
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/14/citizen-journalism-hyperlocal-news
Citizen journalism: can small be bountiful?
http://www.editorsweblog.org/newsrooms_and_journalism/2010/06/us_commission_searches_for_solutions_to.php
US Commission searches for solutions to the woes of journalism
http://tdn.com/news/opinion/article_6b4bc8de-75a0-11df-948e-001cc4c03286.html
Government-funded media isn’t the answer
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/24205
The relentless effort to control the news
http://www.salon.com/technology/dan_gillmor/2010/06/14/pay_for_broadband_not_journalism_subsidies/index.html
Let’s subsidize open broadband, not journalists
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