Content over The Wire

Political corruption and conspiracies always make good headlines, but there is one story this week that is an interesting mix of fact and fiction. And it’s one that is of real interest to those of us involved in digital PR.

So who are the players in this particular plot? Well, the conspiracy is the predicted downfall of the print press. And, the corruption is the chaos that could ensue in a world without a structured newspaper industry. Its ‘death’ brought on by the growth of free online news while citizen journalism takes a hold (rapid response vs. considered comment).

Recent headlines on this have been generated by the creator of the US programme, The Wire, which gets its first UK airing on BBC2 tonight.

David Simon, the show’s creator worked for more than a decade in the newspaper industry. In The Guardian this weekend he shares his belief that news outlets must impose charges for online content, stating “if you don’t have a product you’re charging for, you don’t have a product”.

But is he right? Having online content available free of charge means most of us working in an office or connected via Blackberry or PDA can have easy access to important news throughout the day. We can get our news from a number of sources, rather than being restricted to one publisher – allowing us to develop our own opinions from this overview.

Advances in technology bring improved communication and global barriers are certainly breaking down – surely all positive steps. But if costs are brought in for this online content, won’t that mean the public loses access to vital news updates that could affect our daily lives and decisions?

It seems this is a debate that’s likely to continue for some time.

In the meantime, anyone paying their TV licence fee can watch The Wire on the BBC starting tonight. And if you happen to be out tonight, maybe you can catch it later in the week online via the wonderful iPlayer…