MediaReview

WE THE (MEDIA) PEOPLE
[Commentary] The news business is in trouble. Readership and viewership are
declining, public trust is plummeting, and advertisers are beginning to
wonder whether they're getting their money's worth. This has led people to
think about what blogger and tech journalist Doc Searls calls business
models for "news without newspapers," an approach to reporting and
disseminating news that doesn't depend on layers of editors for
publication, and big ads from carmakers for funding. Nobody's sure just how
to do that yet. With mainstream media losing credibility through scandals
like Easongate, Rathergate, and Newsweek's latest, free-press protections
are likely to come under fire. The best defense will be a public that sees
free speech as something it participates in, not just a protection for big
corporate entities. What some are calling "we-dia" may wind up saving the
media.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Glenn Harlan Reynolds, University of
Tennessee, InstaPundit.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111749856898346629,00.html?mod=todays_us_opinion
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# posted by John : 10:13 AM