The rising cost of information

On March 28, online consumption of the NYTimes enters a new realm.  They will begin charging users for online content.  The question is: how much do I value being able to browse through their news stories at varying volumes throughout the week.

In the new system, users will still be able to access 20 articles a month for free.  Beyond 20, a paid subscription is necessary.  However, articles that are accessed and read via a link from a blog are social network will not be deducted from a reader's 20 article limit.

 On average per week, I'm pretty sure that I read 15-20 articles.  Sometimes I read them in their entirety.  Other times I find that reading a couple of paragraphs is sufficient.  If I decided to remain a non-paying consumer of the Times, maybe I would have to be a little more selective in my choices of articles, which would ultimately take time away from actually reading the news.

This change in the NYT online access has appeared at about the same time that House Republicans have voted to end public funding for NPR radio programs.  One Republican called it a "non-essential service".  Although many in the Republican camp consider NPR to have a slight (or more than slight, depending on how far right the thinker is) left-leaning bias, which on average is probably true, the radio and its programs offer an important alternative to print and TV news.  I believe that having some insight as to what is going on in the world is essential to being an informed and thoughtful citizen.  In fact, I believe that it is just as important a civic duty as going to the polls to make one's voice heard.  The notion that it is a "non-essential service" is really just a faulty justification to cover up a right-wing agenda.

It is clear that in a time when State and Federal budgets need revising, some programs will end up on the losing end.  However, many of the programs that are losing against this season of spending reductions are those that help to shape an informed and educated public, like funding for schools and public information.

While I certainly value print and radio news enough to pay something for it, access to news should not be considered a luxury good.  As someone in the education industy whose salary already represents the lack of value that society places on young people's time in the classroom, I am particularly reliant on free or inexpensive news in order to represent to my students the importance of being a curious and invested member of society.