Paying for News and Journalism

How do you pay for your news?

It's several years since I last bought a newspaper — and three decades since I bought one regularly. Back when I lived in Camden, my downstairs neighbour used to get the Sunday Times each week. By lunchtime she’d read all the sections that interested her — then binned the lot! Several pounds weight of instant garbage.

That struck me as a very wasteful way to get the news. So for the past thirty years, I’ve relied on TV and the internet instead.

Rather than buy one newspaper and stick with that perspective, I subscribe online to a range of publications: The Times, Guardian, Telegraph, Financial Times, Economist, Spectator, New York Times, and Washington Post — plus a few in other languages. It’s not cheap, but I can count it as a business expense. I also subscribe to a mix of podcasts - some paid, most free-to-hear (with ads).

As far as I can tell, there aren't many people like me who pay for several news sources. In fact, I doubt many people regularly pay for even one (not counting the BBC). After all, so much is available for free.

Unsurprisingly, "legacy" news outlets — the so-called mainstream media — are struggling to stay afloat. Journalists who once worked for them now have to find other ways to make a living. Many have gone to Substack, or joined newer media organisations like Pushkin, Goalhanger or Vox, which finance themselves through advertising or subscriptions.

Advertising or subscriptions.

Still, sooner or later, it all needs paying for. Whether it’s the journalists reporting and commenting, or the platforms they publish on — someone has to foot the bill. So whatever your news diet, it’s worth asking yourself: how are they paying for this? how are you paying for this? And what does that mean for what you’re being shown?