This is from the London Paper — a free commuter paper. The idea is for readers to comment on whether they want to read more from particular readers. Good idea. But what if the idea was applied to journalists? What if readers rated everything a journalist wrote? What if his or her pay then depended on the results?
It could happen. It would be a very bad idea.
As soon as journalists start producing content designed to please the audience and / or keep their job then we are in freefall aren’t we? No longer are our views challenged they are simply reinforced.
But then isn’t this already happening here in Australia, particularly with commercial TV?