Current Time.
Background: How We Got Here?
The world is changing before our eyes, but we do not understand it. We keep using practices from the industrial era, even though we know we are already deep in the digital world.
The Industrial Revolution, which started in the late 18th century, introduced many technological innovations and completely transformed industries. Steam power and mechanical processes enabled industries to develop products for middle-class people. During the 19th century, innovation accelerated and expanded to additional industries, changing the world entirely compared to what was known before.
One of the essential industries that led the most significant transformation was the mass production of printing. This innovation became a turning point, fundamentally shaping public knowledge, education, and opinion. The mass production of printed materials brought knowledge to the public, educated them faster, and became the most effective instrument for influencing public discourse.
The Shift to Digital and the Decline of Paid Content
Between the 1830s and 1900s, mass printing took off, leading to the explosion of newspapers, affordable books, and widespread literacy. Until the internet became part of our lives, it was crystal clear to all consumers of printed materials that content was not free.
Then everything changed. The internet rewired consumer behavior. Content was made free to teach people how to use digital platforms. But the real goal was never education. It was about keeping users engaged at all costs. And once free became the norm, there was no going back.
The Real Problem: Content Has Value, but Consumers No Longer Pay
Reading online has become more the norm than reading printed materials. When most of the information we consume is digital, but we do not need to pay for it, a fundamental problem emerges.
This affects:
The credibility of content – Readers struggle to distinguish quality journalism from misinformation.
The value of creative work – Writers, journalists, and independent creators are expected to work for free.
Public perception – People believe they deserve free access without considering the effort behind content creation.
This sense of entitlement and privilege has reshaped digital consumption. People will pay for Spotify, Netflix, or Disney+ but hesitate to pay for written content. Why?
Why Do People Pay for Music and Video but Not Writing?
This issue runs deep. Even The Guardian, which has one of the largest digital audiences in the world, operates on a donation model. It constantly asks for reader support just to keep investigative journalism alive.
Yet, consumers gladly pay for digital music and streaming services. Why? Because platforms like:
Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music trained users to believe that at least one music subscription is necessary.
Netflix, Disney+, HBO, and Hulu made it obvious that digital content requires payment.
People do not argue about whether watching a show should cost money. It is an accepted part of digital consumption. So why does this logic not apply to written content?
The Real Question: How Do We Fix This?
I do not waste time debating whether we should pay for content. That conversation is over. Now, we need to focus on how to structure budgets in a way that makes sense.
The solution must revolve around the allocation of individual budgets, not the justification of payment for content. After all, we consume content from various online sources and cannot afford to pay for all of them.
A Structured Model for Paying for Digital Content
We need a framework that:
✔️ Defines content categories
✔️ Establishes a budget allocation system
✔️ Creates a sustainable way to support digital content
Here are the initial content categories that need structured payments:
News and journalism – Newspapers, investigative reporting, political analysis.
Reference and knowledge – Wikipedia, Britannica, educational databases.
Creative and commentary – Substack, Patreon, Medium, podcasts, cultural essays.
Entertainment and independent writers – Newsletters, blogs, long-form articles, serialized writing, digital storytelling.
Once the categories are clear, weight allocation must be set. For example:
📊 Suggested budget breakdown:
News and journalism – 30%
Reference and knowledge – 40%
Creative and commentary – 10%
Entertainment and independent writers – 20%
The numbers above are just random examples. The real discussion should be about how to fairly allocate budgets based on the value content provides to society.
If People Debate Budget Allocation, That Means We’ve Already Won
And if people argue about how to allocate their budget? That is even better. It means we have reached a higher level of awareness. The public understands they are purchasing content, and the debate is not about whether they should pay but how to allocate their budget across different types of content.
At the bottom line, regardless of how people split their budget, they must understand that paying for digital content is necessary.
If we allocate budgets based on value to society, we reach an equilibrium point that balances all categories.
Final Thought
Unlike investors who avoid funding market education, this is an opportunity for competitors to work together. Media outlets have the world’s biggest stages and can amplify these messages to the public. They have the power to reshape this industry.
If music and video have succeeded in making payments an obvious part of digital consumption, why is writing still an exception?
What will it take to change that?
To read the post they talk about, click the links: We Built This Country on Free Content, and Now It’s Collapsing.
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In this journey, I weave together episodes from my life with the rich tapestry of Israeli culture through music, food, arts, entrepreneurship, and more. I write over the weekends and evenings and publish these episodes as they unfold, almost like a live performance.
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