Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: A Review

Book Cover

“It was the best of times, It was the worst of times…”

            Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by: Jesse Andrews is the tale of two amateur film makers (Greg and Earl) and a girl fighting leukemia (Rachel). This story is told from the out-spoken and somewhat pessimistic point of view of Greg S. Gaines, as he describes the story that led up to the “worst film ever made.”

            Was this the best book I have ever read? Definitely not. Was it worth the 24 hours I put into reading all 295 pages? Absolutely. This has to be one of the most unique books I have ever read. As the narrator explained himself, the set up of the plot would scream “heartwarming” and “heart-wrenching.” But as he further pointed out, this story is neither of those. Honestly this is simply a funny and realistic tale of life, death, high school, and movies.

“So you may have already figured out that it is about a girl who had cancer. So there’s a chance you’re thinking, ‘Awesome! This is going to be a wise and insightful story about love and death and growing up…’ If that’s an accurate representation of your thoughts, you should probably try to smush this book into a garbage disposal and then run away.”

Insecure, Too-Cool-For-School, and Pitiful

The characters in this story are bizarre, but entirely believable. They can be harsh, crude, and even emotionally numb. Greg and Earl are witty and creative, but never seem to truly see or understand their own worth; and Rachel is sweet and very capable of believing in others, but can’t seem to believe in herself, especially when it counts the most. And while this isn’t the most heart-felt book, these characters do learn some important life lessons along the way. It definitely has its inspiring moments. It’s the character’s flaws that keep this story from being the tear-jerking, sappy book you would expect it to be, but it’s was makes this book so painfully true to life.  

“God damn I’m sick and f**king tired of watching you treat this girl like she some kind of burden, when she the closest thing you f**king have to a motherf**king friend…”

Technically Speaking

            Me and Earl and the Dying Girl isn’t just unique in its plot and characters, but also in the way it is written. The narrator constantly bashes his own book, speaks directly to the reader, and makes side thoughts using lists and scripts. All of these techniques help express who Greg Gaines really is, and makes it feel like the character is really talking to the reader. This different approach gives the story character.

 “How is it possible to exist in a place that sucks so bad?…You can’t lead a typical high school life.”

Final Verdict

            If you are a touchy-feely-I-like-sappy-books kind of person, then do as Gaines suggests and DO NOT READ THIS BOOK; it is definitely not for you. If you want to read a fun and interesting story about a few weird high school kids going through a very real experience in an odd way, then I highly recommend you take time to read through all of Gaines strange analogies and story-telling. It is definitely worth it.

3 ½ out of 5 stars.

“This book probably makes it seem like I hate myself and everything I do. But that’s not totally true. I mostly hate every person I’ve ever been.”

Follow Jesse Andrews on Twitter

Let’s Talk About Books…

Maybe I’ll make this a regular thing. I don’t really know yet. Here I will just talk about whatever is on my mind concerning books.

“Your plot might be awesome, but your characters suck. Forget it.”

When it comes to books I am a character person to the core. If I can’t relate or connect to the characters in the story I’m reading, then I simply won’t continue reading. To me characters are what make the story. Without them the story may be a great idea, but it has no heart.

When I read I usually find characters that are kindred spirits and ones that I truly appreciate. In the last year I have come across two characters in particular that I just think are superb.

Adam Wilde: If I Stay, Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went, by: Gayle Forman

Adam Wilde is the sexy, rock star boyfriend of Mia Hall in If I Stay, and is the main character and narrator of Where She Went. In the first book Adam plays the part of an indie rocker who is also a sweet and loving boyfriend, pretty much the kind of guy any girl would kill for. In the first book he is clearly a secondary character, still lovable none the less, but he pales in comparison to Mia who struggles with the choice of life and death. Although he has his shining moment at the end:

“If you stay, I’ll do whatever you want…But if you need me to go away, I’ll do that too…I can lose you like that if I don’t lose you today. I’ll let you go. If you stay.”

It is the second book, though, where Adam becomes an intriguing and dynamic character. At the beginning of the book it is clear that Mia has decided that he “needed to go away,” and Adam is suddenly no longer the perfect dream guy. He is the rock star that everyone expected him to be, but he is constantly anxious and cynical. He has found himself trapped in a loveless relationship that merely dilutes his problems and he is quickly falling out of love with his band, Shooting Star. He is still hopelessly in love with Mia, but he clouds that with anger and misery.

On the surface he seems like a horrible character who is dramatic and whiney, but in this case that is just what makes him wonderful. Adam is painfully real and it is beautifully tragic. You feel for him every step of the way as he travels through New York City, finding himself getting closer and closer to Mia. You pity him, then root for him, then cry for him, then cheer again. His character fully encompasses raw and negative human emotion, but it makes it all the more triumphant when he finds himself on the other side of it.

Favorite Adam Quotes:

“As far as I was concerned, I wrote songs: chords and beats and lyrics, verses and bridges and hooks. But then, as we got bigger, people began to dissect the songs, like a frog from biology class until there was nothing left but guts—tiny parts, so much less than the sum.”

“Whenever I remember it, I just picture our little tent, a little ship glowing in the night, the sounds of Mia’s and my whispers escaping like musical notes, floating out on a moonlit sea.”

“So I took to watching her play, and though I told myself the reason for my attention was because she was as dedicated a musician as I was and that she was cute, the truth was that I also wanted to understand what she heard in the silence.”

“I’d make that same promise a thousand times over and lose her a thousand times over to have heard her play last night or to see her in the morning sunlight.”

Cole St. Clair: Linger, Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

This one is simple. Cole St. Clair is self loathing, depressed, and an absolute Genius. Can you sense a theme here? Cole is another character who is utterly broken and wonderfully imperfect. He is introduced in the book Linger as a werewolf by choice in order to slowly kill himself. The boy has some serious issues. But Cole is much more than another angsty rocker, he’s a hero. Through Linger and Forever, Cole realizes his potential as he works to find a cure for the wolf disease. He re-discovers who he is and his purpose in life, all the while being his humorously sarcastic self. I’ll say it out right…I love Cole St. Clair!

Favorite Cole Quotes:

“That’s how I would kiss you if I loved you.”

“It wasn’t until high school that it became a possibility [suicide]. Not and immediate one, not like ‘It is a possibility I will download this album because the guitar is so sick it makes me want to dance’, but the possibility in the way that some people said that when they grew up, they might be a fireman or an astronaut or a CPA who works late every single weekend while his wife has an affair with the guy who drives the DHL truck. It became a possibility like ‘Maybe when I grow up, I will be dead’.”

“Good Night, and Good Luck”

         

pic from IMDB

In my Intro to Journalism class I watched the movie “Good Night, and Good Luck” for the first time. This film takes place in the 1950’s during the red scare and the Blacklisting crusades led by Senator Joseph McCarthy. It portrays the media battle between Edward R. Murrow and McCarthy. As someone who enjoys scandals and history, I found this to be a very interesting movie. Although the movie was hard to follow at times, I think it made some good points throughout. It discussed some common issues the journalists may face in their careers and issues in society in general.

Knowing Right From Wrong

            This whole movie pretty much revolved around what makes news and how do we present the news. It was often debated whether the CBS show should discuss McCarthy’s communism hunt. On top of that the show took a risk by clearly stating an opinion on the matter. These situations depict how much media sources value credibility and unbiased news.

            The movie also featured a reporter exercising his right for free speech. Many people wanted Murrow censor himself or not speak on the issue of blacklisting at all. Despite warnings from his boss and threats of having him and his co-workers blacklisted, Murrow spoke his mind and in the long run it was the best thing he could have done. Because Murrow was not afraid to say what he believed was true, he brought to light the corruption in the McCarthy cases.

It’s Not Such a Perfect World After All

            Aside from pointing out common challenges in the world of journalism, the film “Good Night, and Good Luck”, all displayed some of the issues that we, as humans, face in society. Topics including mass hysteria, corruption in power, and the desensitizing of the American public were depicted in this movie.

            First, the mass hysteria was probably the most obvious flaw society possessed. Murrow and CBS’s news reports exposed the mass hysteria in the public due to McCarthy’s battle against journalism. People were accusing their neighbors and friends of being a communist and for the most ridiculous things as well. For instance, a person went to a club meeting where one of the main members was from Russia, and that was enough to put someone on trial.

            Next, the movie showed how a little power can go a long way and create a multitude of corruption in its path. McCarthy, became a powerful and influential person during his vendetta against alleged communist and this success led him to accuse people right and left.

            The last societal issue discussed in this movie was the small mention on the possible desensitization of the American public due to television. Toward the end of the film where Murrow finishes his speech from the beginning of the movie, he mentions that TV could be a very useful tool, but if it used and abused then it could affect the public in a negative way, causing them to become desensitized to the real issues in the world. I think this was an excellent observation and it really foreshadowed the world we live in now.

by: kygp via Flickr

So in the End…

            The movie may have been tricky to follow but it didn’t lack in interesting and thought-provoking themes. It made me question the ethics of journalism and what really defines those ethics. It also made me think about society then and now and how it has or hasn’t changed. Overall, I would say it is definitely a movie worth watching.

Going Mobile

by: kaneda99 via Flikr

A Growing Outlet

        Today we live in an age of technology and with all the smart mobile devices walking around it is very apparent. I learned in my Journalism class that 84% of adults in our country own some form a mobile device; that is the majority of Americans. On top of that many of these people use their mobile phones to get information, 47% to be exact. This makes it clear that mobile information has become an undeniable outlet for news sources, and possibly changing the way most people get their information.

 What does this mean for the public?

      With the more smart mobile devices coming out, the more the public will use it to find information. I have already witnessed this need for instant information by watching my friends with smart phones anytime a question comes up. Say we’re watching a movie for example, someone wants to know an actor’s name, all my friend has to do is whip out her iPhone and look it up on IMDB. Having the instant access to information is very handy, but it also makes the public reliant on it. I can remember my same friend become extremely anxious when she had to go three days without her smart phone. She told me she used the phone for everything and that it had her entire life on it.

     The fact that we have technology like that is both amazing and kind of scary. It is amazing because we can now literally keep track of our entire lives with one pocket sized device, but it is frightening because with its easy access of information and organization it also makes us slaves to the phone. Honestly I don’t have a smart phone and until I decided to take on journalism I was perfectly content with that.

by: stillframe via Flickr

 What does this mean for journalism?

        Since the demand for mobile information has skyrocketed in the last few years, the demand to create mobile news sources has increased along with it. It is hard to here of any business that doesn’t seem to “have an app for that.” Newspapers and News sites are no exception to this. In class we even went through several news sources, local and national, and compared their phone apps to their websites. Many of the kids in the class preferred the mobile apps to the websites saying that the app was more to the point and convenient. This helped show the increased need for mobile journalism.

           It seems as if the world of media is moving in the direction of creating apps and writing stories that fit the mobile market. This means writing shorter and more concise stories. It also encourages timeliness even more so than the Internet does. This leads to information traveling faster and maybe even getting out to more people, but it may also lead to less accurate reporting. No matter how it changes the world of reporting and information, the bottom line is that this is an outlet than cannot be ignored.

 

Patch Panel: What Does Our Future Look Like?

The Guest Stars

                On Tuesday Oct. 25 a group of editors from Patch.com came to Lindenwood to speak with our Intro to Journalism class. This group consisted of writers from all over the local St. Louis metropolitan area. The speakers were:

Kurt Greenbaum

Greenbaum is a regional editor for Patch.com. He has experience working for Media General, dbusiness.com, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. (Apparently he also listens to Green Day. You just won awesome points with this Green Day fan)

Chase Castle

Castle is the editor for the Ballwin-Ellisville Patch site.

James Baer

Baer is the editor for the Ladue-Frontenac Patch site. He was a journalist for the Navy and also worked for KMXO in St. Louis.

Tamera Duncan

Duncan is the editor for the Lake St. Louis Patch site. She was worked in a variety of jobs including teaching, freelance, and magazine editing.

Joe Barker

 

Barker is the editor for the St. Peters Patch site. He previously worked for the Hannibal Courier-Post.

Maggie Rotermund

Rotermund is the editor for the Wentzville Patch site. She has worked for The Baxter Bulletin and Washington Missourian.

So What Was the Point?

During this panel the editors talked to us about their careers in journalism and how they got to that point. Many of them talked about always wanted to be a journalist and how they were always involved in writing while others tried a few different fields out for size before settling into journalism.

The group also gave the class a lot of advice on how to succeed in journalism or really even in  any career field. They offered tips such as to find interest in other subjects and to be well-rounded with a desire to keep learning. Even when asked about the dark outlook of jobs today, they agreed that is isn’t something to concern ourselves greatly with and that the key is persistence.

I feel the panel gave our class excellent advice and I know they really made me think. Hearing that it is okay and even beneficial to be well-rounded, was something that I found very encouraging; when I was a Music Major I was often told that “a jack-of-all-trades masters nothing.” This really frustrated me since I’ve always been at least competent with everything, so being told otherwise was extremely refreshing.  

                Basically everything they told me reassured me that I had made the right switch. They talked about being curious, which I am always getting in trouble with. They also mentioned persistence. If I wasn’t persistent then I wouldn’t have gotten the job I have now, competing with hundreds of other applicants, nor would I have convinced my parents that it was a good idea for me to go to school 800 miles away. They even mentioned that it was good to have outside interest, which as everyone probably already knows, music is the air I breathe. All of these words of wisdom really made me feel secure in my decision and made me want to work harder at accomplishing my new goal.

                I am really glad that I got the opportunity to hear from real journalists and hear about their experiences. It has given me a new confidence to achieve all that I want to achieve.

The Story of the Underdog

“There’s Hope for This Underdog…”

                In my opinion the best story that could ever be told is the story of the underdog. Thursday, Oct. 27 was the night of Game Six in the World Series featuring the Cardinals VS the Rangers and may have been one of the best underdog stories of our time. No way in the world should the St. Louis Cardinals have won that game. The Rangers were winning 7-5 at the bottom of the 9^th inning and the Cardinals had two strikes and two outs against them; most watched in horror with only a small bit of hope. But the game wasn’t over yet, David Freese hit the ball and the team scored two more points tying the game. The game moved into overtime and in the bottom the of 10^th Rangers were up 9-8 when Lance Berkman, with another two strikes and two outs, hit a single tying the game yet again. The Most triumphant moment, though, was Freese who, at the bottom of the 11^th (again with two strikes and two outs), hit a home run winning the game for the Cardinals 10-9. I’m not even a sports fan and I was screaming my head off.

A Story to be Retold

                In COM135 we have discussed how reporters get their stories; whether it is from a planned event or breaking news. One of the places to find stories is in the uphill battle of the underdog and Game Six of the World Series showcased that tale flawlessly. It had all the right elements for a great story: a shameful struggle, a somewhat unlikely hero, and a victorious ending. This is the kind of story that people care about and that people will be talking about for years to come.

by: BaseballBacks via Flickr

Cardinals Take Over Facebook

We also learned in class that news stories can be found through social media, and this event had the buzz that follows every important story in today’s times. This morning I sifted through my facebook page to see status after status all about the cardinals. Pictures were posted and shared and St. Louis fans eagerly cheered on their favorite team. Even people who didn’t watch the game had something to say.  I’m sure the news feeds of facebook will be painted red and blue for a while.

Cardinal Nation, Baby!

                Even after the game had ended, proud St. Louisians couldn’t get enough of the excitement. Lindenwood students ran through the streets half naked and cheering. Horns were honked and screams were heard from the windows of many dorms. The campus turned itself over to Cardinal Fever. Kids who never knew each other before high fived and shouted in unison, fans were everywhere celebrating with anyone they could. My friend and I even drove downtown, where at 1 a.m. the lights at Busch Stadium still shone brightly. It was as if the whole world was in celebration.

By: SenzEnina via Flickr

But It’s Not Over Yet

                Tonight, Friday, Oct. 28, the Cardinals will face the Rangers one more time and play the first Game Seven in a World Series in nine years. Will there be dancing in the streets again tonight? Is there another underdog story in our midst? Only time and a good satellite or radio signal will tell.

Media Hype: Death of an Innovator

by: anieto2k via Flickr

Death of an Icon or a Human Being?

On October 5^th my co-worker turned to me and told me that her iPhone had informed her that, Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs, had passed away. I took the news simply as “oh that’s sad, but so is life.” Yes, one of the world’s most innovative and inspirational people had passed, but death is a part of life. Steve Jobs was gone and as far as I could tell the world was still turning.

What’s With All the Hype?

                It was inevitable that Jobs’ death would be big news; infesting every social media outlet and every trending topic. And of course I expected to endlessly hear about what an amazing person the “real” Steve Jobs was. I understand humanities need to give tribute to those that have passed on, but is it necessary to hype one person’s life and death when thousands of people die every day and most people wouldn’t even be phased by those deaths. Jobs created technology that is practically essential  to our social culture, why not remember him for his accomplishments instead of getting so caught up in his personal life; appreciate him for that and leave it right there.

by: tseivs via Flickr

Media pushes the hype further

                Over the past few days I have seen multiple new and different articles on Yahoo!  alone talking about Jobs’ life and the hole he left behind. People’s facebook statuses and twitter accounts were also dedicated to the late CEO. It seemed as if there was no way to escape the never ending eulogies. On top of that every post or article seemed to make Jobs’ out to be God’s gift to the world. Once again the man made some amazing technological innovations, but at the end of the day he was just a man. It seemed as if the news was pushing society to be in a constant state of morning. It is funny how the media can make such a big deal about one man’s death and yet forget about the many that die of starvation or sacrifice their life in war. Jobs’ death was newsworthy, but just as many celebrity deaths, it was nowhere near disserving of the hype it received.

So Maybe I’m Out of Line…

                I’m never one to take death lightly. I’ve seen and felt the worst parts of grief and know that it is no trivial matter. At the same time when it comes to the death of a public figure, things seems to get taken out of proportion. Society should realize that celebrities are just as human as the rests of us; they are not gods. It is okay to take a moment to let their passing sink in, but to fall into a hype is taking it too far. Steve Jobs will always be remembered for his contribution to the social and technical world, and if that is all he is remembered for, then that is more than okay.

Silenced

Jamey

            On September 18^th, Fourteen-year-old, Jamey Rodemeyer committed suicide after a long struggle with bullying. He was made fun of constantly for his sexuality and for being “girly.” According to a Yahoo! article about rethinking bullying prevention, Jamey seemed to be dealing with the bullies well and had supportive friends and family. Surprisingly and unfortunately, Jamey eventually listened to the kids who told him it would be better if he were dead, thus adding him to the growing list of teen suicides linked to bullying.

by: !borghetti via Flickr

Heartbrea king and Sick

            This story, like many of its kind, is absolutely devastating. It seems like it would be so simple to just treat everyone with respect and decency. It’s not fair that any child has to feel unwanted or threatened. What’s even sadder than seeing a child give up is seeing the bully walk away without guilt or penalty. In this case the bullies approached Jamey’s twin sister at the homecoming dance after her brother’s death and told her they were glad that he was dead. How could a group of kids be so heartless? Even worse, this isn’t the only case were a child was bullied even after he or she ended their life. I remember reading an article last year about a girl who died after being bullied; her bullies showed up to her wake only to laugh at her lifeless body. What has produced such a sick society?

by: Amy Fleming via Flickr

Bullies or Victims?

            We’ve been told since a young age that people become bullies to deal with their own demons and insecurities, but what if it’s not that complicated? What if maybe it is the simple fact that some people are just plain mean? Sometimes people think they are superior and feel the need to prove their rank. If someone has such a small conscience that they don’t show and ounce of guilt after the passing of someone they have bullied, then they don’t deserve to be called a victim. Some people bully because they think it is fun and because they think they can. Sugar coating pure evil is ineffective and will do nothing to stop the growing suicide problem.

Break the Silence

by: SarahWynne via Flickr

      When I was younger I was bullied myself, not quite to the same extent as Jamey, but enough to know that it’s hard to stop the cycle when everyone tunes you out. I remember being harassed at my locker. One girl would always stand directly in front of it, ensuring that I could not get to my books inside. I would always beg her to move, and she would always ignore my pleas and simply smirk at me. One day, after arriving late to class because this girl had been blocking me from my books, I told my teacher about the situation. Her response: “That’s not my problem.” She told me to talk to the teacher whose classroom was located near my locker. It is negligent brush-offs like this that let bullying continue. If people don’t acknowledge the cries for help and do something about it, then nothing will be resolved. If you see someone being harassed or someone tells you that they are being bullied, don’t stand by and watch, take action, break the silence, end the tragedy.

 

News Values

Timeliness

            In the Article,”US ‘Threat’ of Military Action Unites Pakistan,” it states that the United States recently accused Pakistan of being involved with Afghan insurgents. This has apparently sparked talk about a US invasion of Pakistan, which has angered the Pakistani people who currently have a deep hatred of America.

            This article is timely because much of what has happened in the article has happened in the last week, and is still happening right now. This article is letting the public in on this conflict right as it is happening, and that is important because this could turn into an even more serious conflict involving the US.

Proximity

            STLtoday.com posted an article yesterday about a collapsed resident building near the Missouri Botanical Gardens . The story claims that after, talk show host and resident, McGraw Milhaven made a public statement concerning the neighborhood’s safety, the St. Louis Department of Health checked the building and deemed it safe.

            This story is a great example of proximity because it is a local story concerning an issue located in a neighborhood, and it is an issue that may affect the people in that area.

by: yeenoghu via Flickr

Prominence

            According to The Christian Science Monitor, actress, Susan Sarandon went down to Wall Street to witness “Occupy Wall Street” protests against “corporate greed.” The group has struggled to get attention in the media, but with Hollywood names like Michael Moore and Sarandon showing their support, the group is getting their name in the public’s mind.

            This article displays prominence, not only because the story is about someone famous, but because it also shows how someone who is prominent can affect media and society. Because people know and admire Hollywood figureheads, like Sarandon, little causes and little actions can get noticed.

Impact

by: Edge of Space via Flickr

      Going back to the first story I mentioned, Yahoo! News posted an article about today’s cross-party talk in Pakistan. This has come after much pressure from the United States to act against the Haqqani group, which some US officials believe to be a terrorist group. Pakistan is hesitant to do this.

            This is a good example of impact because this conference could influence what Pakistan will do about the Haqqani group and whether the US will have a presence in Pakistan or not. Therefore, this story would have great impact on both Pakistan and the US. A story like this is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Conflict

            Rick Perry is under-fire, according to the St. Petersburg Times, for his stand on illegal immigration. He says that children who are illegal immigrants should be offered a college education and a tuition plan to help them do that. This statement earned him attacks from fellow republican candidates and boos from the audience .           

           This story is a clear example of conflict. Basically it is Rick Perry VS fellow candidates, based on the numerous oppositions of his stance.

Unusual/Human Interest

by: ZedZaP.. via Flickr

            In Syracuse, New York, Marcellus High School’s Junior Varsity football coach is being questioned for his reasonings behind taking his football team to a graveyard after a game where they suffered a big loss. This story was reported on Rivals High, a blog by Yahoo! Sports. They said that the coach made the team members lay on graves in order to teach them a lesson on “not giving up.” Many parents and locals were a bit disturbed by the story and wanted answers.

            This story is definitely unusual, to say the least; a high school football team lying on graves late in the night? That is why this is a perfect example of an unusual/human interest story.

Paywalls: A Vicious Circle

So What Are Paywalls?

This week in my Journalism class have been discussing journalism today. In this discussion we came to the topic of paywalls. Paywalls are a tool that some websites use to block their content; these walls ask for payment in order to view the full site. There is talk that this could be the future of online media sources. In fact, some web sites, like The Wall Street Journal, have already started using these paywalls. Can you imagine that? Having to pay to read the news online? Some think this is a ludicrous idea and some think it is Genius, like Rupert Murdoch, Owner of the News Corporation:

How is it a “vicious circle”?

by: Will Lion via Flickr

My personal opinion is that paywalls are a terrible idea. Clearly these news sources need money, but putting a price tag on your product is not always the answer. Consumers these days are seeking what they can get for free and with a hurting economy and a less-than-stellar employment rate can you really blame them? We’ve seen this in music, movies, and games. The public want convenient and cheap access to these media items, so the obvious solution is online downloading, right? Well, with every good idea comes corruption, aka: illegal downloading. Now not only are CDs, DVDs, Movie Tickets, and Video Games’ prices sky-high, but the downloadable versions are too. If you want to download the latest Katy Perry single, it now costs $1.29 on itunes. The higher the price goes up, the more people find illegal ways to save a penny, and the less consumers that are paying, the higher the price goes up. I feel that this will be the ultimate fate for the news sites that add paywalls. If they start charging people for the news, then the people are going to take their business elsewhere. Who knows maybe one day we will be illegally downloading PDF files and coin the term “News Pirating”. I think that these news companies should take a hint from the failures of the music, movie, and gaming industries and learn from their mistakes.

What Are the Alternatives?

 I do think that these news sources should encourage readers to subscribe and to pay some sort of monthly fee, but not in such a forceful way. They should make bonus material and maybe even rewards for the people willing to subscribe and pay the price, but leave much of their content free and accessible to the public. If these sources try to push the idea of “subscribe or get nothing”, I think they will chase a lot of readers away. I know I wouldn’t want to pay for what I feel it is my right to know. However, if they give customers an incentive, a reason to pay, then they might find that they can make money while appeasing the public.

A Final Point

 The sad fact is that we live in a world that is increasingly lazy and apathetic. In fact, most of the people I know are pretty out of touch with what goes on in our world, and they are perfectly okay with that. It’s dangerous to live in a society where people don’t care anymore. Why would anyone want to give them an extra reason to not care?

by: Mike Sansone via Flickr