In the latest edition of
Mediaweek.tv, now showing, Mirror Group's David Emin, in
discussion with TMG's Dave King about the future of newspapers, makes a point
about traditional newspapers' ability to differentiate themselves from other
online news sources, which he describes as "very parasitic".
It's a
fair point - and a good sell. Online news is parasitic and traditional news
organisations bring an air of authority, for the most part, which is almost
impossible to replicate.
Unfortunately,
it's immaterial. Seeing ones work plagiarised can but frustrating, but watching
a story build momentum as it flicks across the web can also be exhilarating. It
could be argued the "parasites" are more akin to bumble bees, pollinating stories
and helping them to grow beyond the means they are capable of on their own.
Whichever
argument you favour, the practice is not going to dissipate. And from a
reader's perspective, who cares? Profiting from digital is proving tough.
Exploiting content over which publishers have increasingly less control will
make it even tougher.
