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Stung by a collapse in advertising revenue as the recession shredded Fleet Street’s traditional business model, Murdoch has declared that the era of a free-for-all in online news was over.
“Quality journalism is not cheap,” said Murdoch. “The digital revolution has opened many new and inexpensive distribution channels but it has not made content free. We intend to charge for all our news websites.”
What does “quality journalism” have to do with Murdoch’s tabloids?
The Australian-born press and television baron was speaking as his News Corporation holding company slumped to a $3.4 billion net loss for the financial year to June, hit by huge writedowns in the value of its assets, restructuring charges and a dive in commercial revenue…
At present, only the Wall Street Journal charges a fee for online access and until recently, received wisdom in the publishing industry was that readers would not pay to read newspapers on the internet…
He accepted that there could be a need for furious litigation to prevent stories and photographs being copied elsewhere: “We’ll be asserting our copyright at every point…”
The group’s television division, including its Fox stations in the US and Star networks in Asia, saw profits fall from $1.12bn to $174m.
His plan to sue everyone should deliver about as much of a return as it did for the RIAA.
“Quality journalism is not cheap,” said Murdoch.
Well… he should be making tons of profit then.
Murdoch wouldn’t know quality journalism if it hit him in his money grubbing ass. If we need to pay for his propaganda it’s a good thing; fewer people will be reading it.
I only have little ideas, no big reform.
Dump the employer tax exemption, and make it an individual tax exemption for health insurance. No more of having the company look for the option with the least coverage.
Let people opt out of Medicare without losing their Social Security.
Issue vouchers so people on Medicaid and Medicare can get a private insurance plan, and also money back if their costs are lower.
Let doctors provide treatment beyond what Medicare pays for.
Let doctors provide free treatments.
The last two are not allowed unless doctors don’t take Medicare or Medicaid patients.