Trust in News Media Falls to New Low in Pew Survey

By Laura Reid

According to recent research, trust in news media is declining. Those surveyed said that the news is becoming more inaccurate and reporters are becoming more biased in their stories.

Credibility in the news world was up in the 80s and 90s, but the surveyers have said that the news media are not getting the facts straight. These research came from being asked the same questions that were presented to the surveyers in the past decades.

Negative opinions about the news have grown, but the Democrats have jumped the most in their dislike of how the news is being portrayed.

The news industry has really been hurting and I think this is just adding to it. But I think this is a big component for the continuing decline of newspapers. Without trust in the news, there would be no point in trying to expand readership. Without accurate reporting, why would anyone want to believe a reporter, whether it is in print or online? Maybe the newspaper companies should focus on accurate news reporting before complaining that their readership is down.

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Star Tribune to Charge for Vikings Coverage

By Zach Jevne

The Star Tribune, of Minneapolis-St.Paul, will begin charging to view some of its content online in a few weeks, including "Vikings Access", one of the site's biggest draws. This will be the first time since 2002 the newspaper has walled off content and charged for it.

Terry Sauer, the assistant managing editor for digital, says that they will begin charging "in a few weeks" and that the monthly fee will be about "the cost of a cup of coffee."

Back in 2002 the site offered a "Purple Plus" package, which allowed readers to get stories, commentary, and live chats, for $30 a year. It was unsuccessful, by financial standards, as they only got 1,000 subscribers.

Part of the blame for lack of interest in 2002 was a brutal 6-10 season, which started out 3-10, according to then-editor Ben Welter.

So will fans be more likely to pay for premium coverage in 2009? Sauer hopes so.

"We know die-hard Vikings fans can't get enough information, but I think casual fans will find it a pretty good deal, too. We feel better situated with a superior Vikings product to give our readers a good reason to sign up."

The problem that they may face will be the free alternative sites where fans can get football information. Their hope is that the "die-hard fan" will prefer their local coverage of the team compared to other sites. But even that might not be enough for people to pay extra to view "Vikings Access".

Welter says, "There are too many other free alternatives to almost all the content we produce - even when we enhance it with exclusive material."

It may also help that many consider, especially in Minnesota, that the Vikings are potentially a very good team, with high hopes for the playoffs. They have the league's top running back and the signing of Brett Favre last month only made fans more excited. I can't help but wonder if Brett Favre and the team's potential were the deciding factors in the decision to charge for "exclusive" coverage.

I have to think that the Star Tribune is hoping for a huge season from the Vikings this year, even more so than in the past. If they have a winning team, fans will be much more interested in getting all the information and coverage that "Vikings Access" has to offer. They may even be willing to pay for it.

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Newspapers Soon Extinct?

By: Amy Johnson

In a recent interview with Rupert Murdoch, chairman and major shareholder of News Corporation, says he can see the day where newspapers will be gone and electronic databases will take over.

It could take 20 years to displace newspapers, “but I do certainly see the day when more people will be buying their newspapers on portable reading panels than on crushed trees,” says Murdoch.

It makes perfect sense. It would cost less money and eliminate the need for printing presses and paper. A vast majority of the United States' citizens already go online to read their daily news. Having the local newspaper available via the Internet or a cell phone seems brilliant.

The Wall Street Journal is one of the only newspapers in the United States that has been successful in charging for an online subscription. A plan to start charging non-subscribers a mere $2 every week has been put into action while those who already have subscribed will only pay $1.

One question is this – how are small town newspapers going to handle this? Not every small town is going to find this online newspaper feasible; the equipment needed may be too expensive and finding people who are familiar with computers may prove to be more difficult. Will this be the end to small time newspapers? Only time will tell.

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