Most of the readings for this week were about the business models of entertainment media, yet the Internet has also changed the way we consume information. I personally do not read a physical newspaper, nor do I have an online subscription to a newspaper. I consume news through Yahoo, NPR, I google search topics, I get links to articles through friends, I watch news clips on HULU, etc. There are an infinite amount of sources online and chances are we can find a way to get the information we need for free.
FREE seems to be natural for the generation that has grown up with the Internet. I am not aware of the statistics of people who have a subscription to an online newspaper, but I can guess that most of them are not college students. While newspapers have already made a transition to online content their business model has not changed much, YET. Conglomerate Tycoon Rupert Murdoch, has teamed up with Apple to introduce The Daily, a digital newspaper for Apple's iPad tablet computer that Murdoch has called his company's "most exciting project." Of course Murdoch knows newspaper business, he understands that newer generations will not buy paper newspapers, and he knows that the current online newspaper format is not very interactive. This transition he is making reminds me of the Shirky article, "The Collapse of complex business models." When Shirky mentions Murdoch he seems think that Murdoch's model is like one of those civilizations that will collapse. HOWEVER, in an interview from about a year ago Murdoch explains his thoughts and plans about the future of newspapers, after watching this interview I get a sense that Murdoch is taking a step in the right direction.
He plans to charge for subscriptions to The Daily, but judging from the interview it will be a more interactive application, not a traditional online newspaper. It will be interesting to see how this strictly online newspaper/app will work and how it will change newspaper business models.
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