Read all about it in the Sunday papers!

Time has an interesting analysis of the crisis in journalism - why newspapers think they can survive by giving away their content.

Writer Walter Isaacson, a former managing editor of Time, makes the argument for a micropayment system:

... a newspaper might decide to charge a nickel for an article or a dime for that day's full edition or $2 for a month's worth of Web access. Some surfers would balk, but I suspect most would merrily click through if it were cheap and easy enough.

After all, he notes, people pay to send text messages, or for iTunes, without even thinking about it.

What message does it send when you don't have to pay for quality, reliable news? I mean news that has been verified, fact checked and otherwise made at least semi-reliable.

Of course, some newspapers have cut back these functions.

It's the general decline in quality that bothers me. Everyone thinks they can write and everyone thinks they are an expert on something. I'm over-simplifying, but I see it everywhere.

It takes something to be a reporter, and it's not something that is taught in journalism school. A lot of times, it's a skill that's acquired; nowadays, once you acquire it, you're gone to make room for someone right out of journalism school.

Anyway ... it's an interesting piece.