At Big Think, the writers as a good question: Are newspapers civic institutions? If so what are the implications? Or are they just algorithms? Dominic Basulto raises good questions in his post, with plenty of links to other studies and writers.
More than 200 newspapers have folded or suspended their print editions since 2007, Basulto writes. ” As a result, the typical argument calls for supporting newspapers historically have been based on the idea of newspapers as a sort of civic institution that we, as a society, must preserve in the name of ideals (always capitalized) like Truth. But what if, instead, we begin to think of newspapers in perhaps a more mundane manner — as algorithms for solving problems?”
Are tablet applications making it easier for newspapers to pay for content? Are consumers becoming accustomed to paying for applications? “If you think about this for a second, this is a profound change that the appification of media makes possible. Online or in the physical world, your product is worth zero. Add a mobile layer to it, and it’s suddenly worth something,” writes Basulto. Is it true? If so, is it enough to preserve journalism as we’ve known it?
