On 28/11/2007, Deirdre Harvey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > ------------------------------ > ** > So can you give us any indication of when the technologists will have > completed the prototype of the journalist that doesn't need food or shelter? > > I believe that it's called the professional blogger; for most news various blogs and bloggers seem to be as reliable as your average daily newspaper, yet they provide their news and comment for free and in an open manner. Now we have a prototype, I'm sure there are areas we can improve & features to add.
But you don't want the best of journalism? Or you think you can get the > best journalists by telling them to work for free? > > Sure I do, I'm not getting that from traditional sources though, the only printed news media I now trust is Private Eye, traditional broadcast media is rapidly heading the same way. Recent episodes of Panorama are evidence of that (the episode that spewed bollokcks about wi-fi, for example; if they're talking rubbish in areas I know about, why should I trust them in areas about which I know nothing) Should anyone (other than, presumably, the technologists) be paid for their > work? > > Of course, where I've referred to Free in the context of this discussion I have generally meant libre, not gratis. Why should people who do important jobs in the public interest not get paid? > My father has worked very hard his entire life as a teacher in an inner city > school. He thinks his job matters and takes his work very seriously but he > wouldn't have done it if they hadn't paid him. You know, what with kids to > support etc. > > Please point out where I've said that people should work for nothing. I've said things should be open and free (libre) not free (gratis). If you think journalism isn't important to society then make that argument. > If you think it is, then why blithely assume that other people should do > that important work for nothing? > > Journalism is vital to a functioning democracy, unfortunately it seems to be a dieing art, and being fast replaced with sensationalists and people who want to make news rather than report it. Vijay.
