Newspaper crisis threatens free society

The continual drop in the number of newspaper subscribers and the uncertain future of the press mean the death of critical society, writes the daily Večer: "Some people console themselves with the idea that thousands of new blogs and Internet portals will simply replace the 'old media'. That is a huge mistake. Good journalism is never cheap. ... Above all investigative journalism costs a lot of money. Blogs will never be able to close these gaps. Reading supposedly 'free' articles on the Internet also has its price. Just as there's no such thing as a 'free lunch' or a free car repair, the journalist's work simply can't be had for free. Free access to articles means less income, and that in turn means fewer journalists, more superficial articles and fewer important disclosures. And as the newspapers disappear, society's critical voices will also die, while the number of false perceptions increases. For serious journalism with a professional approach, print media are irreplaceable."

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