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YSK: Even though it isn't a foolproof criterion, the fact that a claimed "news" source is offered "completely free (as in free beer)" may suggest that it is poor quality (vlemmy.net)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

12 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Why YSK: good journalism has a lot of costs (and not one-time-only), in time if not in money, so if any "news" source isn't at least trying to get paid somehow*, then it indicates that the supply at zero price exceeds the demand (it is a "free good"), which means one of two things:

a lot of people like and use it but the publisher, or someone backing them, is still paying the substantial costs associated with investigating/researching, editing, and hosting it (and are arguably being quite charitable), or
not many people find it useful or access it often, but it is still being offered/promoted by someone who has some other motive (not necessarily nefarious, but also not all that charitable).

If the latter, but they still publish timely coverage of "newsworthy" events, which would otherwise make a lot more people want to read it, then they ~~are likely~~ may be (edited) "tabloid"/"propaganda"/"yellow journalism"/"clickbait"/"listicle"/whatever term people are using today for "not a very credible news source".

* Even if that's through asking for charitable donations, though that unfortunately is often not very successful despite the fact that, one might argue, when you benefit and have the financial means to pay but don't, then that is unethical.

Also, note that the existence of barriers to unfettered use can be considered a kind of "price" (from the "buyer's" perspective at least), which is both annoying and can serve to limit the "quantity demanded", making it easier to keep the "quantity supplied" high enough to meet the demand.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

A lot of places in the US have (had?) small, weekly, free newspapers that are actually pretty good. They get by by being full of ads, often the kinds of ads more family-friendly outlets wouldn’t publish.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

In that case, I would say the advertisers are most directly paying the cost, and the readers are indirectly paying for it by sometimes buying the products that are advertised. I don't like ads, and I especially hate when people try to force others to view ads whether they want to or not, but they are still one source of revenue for goods which are nominally "free".

And, as I mentioned at the end of my post, as much as I dislike them, these attempts to force ad viewing can also function as a form of "price", to put a limit on the number of people who bother with those sources, which can make it easier for them to keep up with the demands of those who tolerate that behavior. (Again, I don't like this, but I can't change it just by disliking it.)