This is the news
At a time when circulations on national newspapers - excluding the Daily Star – are down, kerfuffle within the industry is definitely up. Not for the first time, the press itself is the big news.
First of all, the Telegraph was last week accused of chequebook journalism following its purchase of sensitive information regarding MPs’ expenses. One of the most shocking and high-profile exclusives in recent memory, the paper supposedly paid £150,000 for the details of what has become a media sensation.
At the same time, the Evening Standard has this weekend come under fire from its former editor for its controversial ‘Sorry’ campaign, in which the new team apologises for the newspaper’s previously gloomy aspect and for losing touch with its readers. The campaign has, unsurprisingly, been attacked for undermining the past good work of the editorial team.
All this at a time when Rupert Murdoch is prophesising that the days of free online newspaper content are over. So, how has the industry come to court controversy in this way? And, in trying to stand out in a crowd, are newspapers losing their sense of self?
Murdoch has raised the issues (and pitfalls) of free-conomics in the midst of this identity crisis, and it’s interesting to make comparisons between the newspaper and music industries at this time. With artists finding it increasingly necessary to give away songs and even albums for free, the question of how musicians can make money has become a hotly-debated one. How will artists be able to fund the creation of new material if their work brings publicity but no profit? (Many established musicians have seen costs offset by a rising attendance at live shows, but this is not necessarily the case for all artists.)
And so it is with the newspaper industry. How can journalists be expected to produce the high quality content – investigative reporting, hard-hitting exposés and analyses – when they are asked to produce a higher word count than ever for a lower cost? And, in a bid to make a quick impact, will charges of chequebook journalism and controversial campaigns become still more common?
The problem is not a new one by any means, but it’s one that needs an answer soon. And, just like music, we ignore the value of the free press at our peril.