Paying for content

People have become used to getting news and commentary free. Commercial TV, and now the Internet has allowed us to get most of what we want for nothing. Yet, there is a cost to gathering and editing the news. While a few publications, such as the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times have managed to get payment for access, this is rare. NPR manages through donations, but only a few its listeners actually contribute. The idea of micr-donations may catch on. With the ability to donate pennies simply and cost-effectively, services such as Kachingle may catch on. If we want to continue to get real news, as opposed to self-serving commentary, it may have to.