Bad Idea: Financial Times editor says most news websites will charge within a year

Here's a stupid idea:

In a speech in London, Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber said that within the next 12 months, news agencies will be charging access to their websites. The only matter that will be discussed, according to the editor, is whether they should charge per month or per article or possibly even both. "I confidently predict that within the next 12 months, almost all news organisations will be charging for content."

I already ignore news sites that currently charge. Heck, I often ignore sites that force you to register and log-in to read, even if it's free. Big media is trying to control information - but it's only going to drive people to more blogs (which are by nature, more one-sided and editorial in nature - regardless of the political slant). The model news agencies employ for television should work on the internet. Allow free access and sell advertising space. And you know what, any major news agency that doesn't charge when others start to will see a huge increase in traffic, and thus a huge increase in revenues.

This is what the political machines want. They want information limited, so that they can control public knowledge and dissent. Television and newspaper hope that by reigning in the internet, they'll drive people back to their dying media (paper, broadcast, cable...).

Less scrupulous interneters are just going to cut-and-paste relevant sections of stories into blogs and forums anyway.

"News" as a commodity is increasingly becoming a thing of the past - especially unbiased even-handed, straight-facts reporting. The supply online is limitless. But the demand for perspective and consolidated forums will be there, and that's what they need to focus on - getting hits so that people see those little money producing ads.

All this will do is put the final nail in the coffin of big news media.

Catch the Left Wing Media Bias in this Story

Hint, it's EVERYWHERE:

Dallas indictment raises race issues

By PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 38 minutes ago

DALLAS - A sweeping City Hall corruption probe that has produced federal charges against a dozen black civic and political leaders is renewing suspicions of racism in a city with a long history of combative minority relations.

"It makes Dallas looks bad," said Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, who is black, "because people just have the general sense of the city being unfair to people of color."

Sixteen people — 12 of them black — were named in corruption indictments unsealed this week. Most of them were charged in what the FBI said was a kickback and bribery scheme involving the awarding of contracts to white developers to build affordable housing, mostly in black neighborhoods.

The two-year investigation — and the spectacle of some of Dallas' most influential black leaders arriving at the federal courthouse to face charges — dealt a blow to a minority community still struggling to find its political footing.

Some blacks said they suspect the case is an attempt to dismantle Dallas' black political leadership.

Among the blacks indicted are a former City Council member, a former city planner, businessmen, state Rep. Terri Hodge of Dallas, and former Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill, who was considered a front-runner for mayor in June but was hurt by the investigation. He was defeated in the first round of elections. Four white developers were also charged.

The ethnic makeup of those indicted has not gone unnoticed in Dallas, a city of 1.2 million that is nearly 25 percent black and has been beset by racial tensions over the years.

"I refuse to subscribe that this was racially motivated," said Michael Sorrell, president of the city's historically black Paul Quinn College. "But given all the factors, what is the statistical likelihood of producing that ratio?"

U.S. Attorney Richard Roper and the FBI strongly denied that the probe was racially motivated. Federal investigators made their case not by setting up a sting operation but by raiding City Hall, removing boxes of documents and following the paper trail.

"I always in my career base my decisions not on race but what the facts and the law show," said Roper, who has not ruled out the possibility of more indictments.

...

Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, said the fact that three-fourths of those indicted are black doesn't give him reason for pause. "Unfortunately, all the actors who were in a position to make a decision ... were black," he said.

Although Dallas more recently has broken the political color barrier with its first black mayor, police chief and district attorney, some say that is deceptive.

"Our progress here is cosmetic," said Rufus Shaw, a black political analyst.

Of course, of course, if 12 black people are caught committing crimes, it must be RACISM on the part of the law enforcement enforcing the laws. Let's condemn the fact that they're out there protecting society and ignore that fact that the REASON these people were investigated in the first place was not skin-color, but, gee, the fact that they were engaged in suspicious behavior and very likely took bribes and kick-backs. But no, holding African Americans to any sort of standard akin to everyone else, and expecting them not to break the law - gee, that's prejudice.

Blame Dallas, not the criminals.

How on Earth is this any sort of indication of racism in Dallas?

WOLF! WOLF! WOLF! THE SKY IS FALLING!