Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The business of media, part II: Blame journalists' ethical lapses?

A comment left on the Poynter journalism website, in response to the news that Jack and Suzy Welch are giving up their BusinessWeek column:
"... Can someone please tell me why Suzy Welch was allowed to write an article on workplace ethics and workplace romances? We bemoan the fact that publications have no credibility, and then turn the podium over to the Jayson Blairs and Suzy Welchs of the world. Noted plagiarist/fabricator Mike Barnicle's star never dimmed, thanks to unfailing support from his television news cronies. The list goes on. And we wonder why people don't want to pay for the content."
Backstory: Suzy Welch, nee Wetlaufer, was a Harvard Business Review editor who started a romantic relationship with Welch after interviewing him -- but didn't reveal the relationship in a timely fashion, even though her interview was about to be published. The result was a staff revolt at the Review, and Wetlaufer's eventual resignation.

But it's a bit harsh to cite isolated incidents such as these as the reasons behind the publics' unwillingness to pay for online content. Yes, people get angry about these incidents, and gripe about perceived biases and shallow coverage. Yet most do like learning about what's going on in the world around them. But they've been conditioned to expect it for free. In addition, the huge increase in the number of potential sources online lessens their dependence upon the mainstream media outlets which until recently held a near monopoly on news and other information.

Related blog posts by Ian Lamont:

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