Since election night, there’s been a lot of infighting between news organizations. And breaking up isn’t so hard to do. But there is another breakup to report. The Guardian cuts ties with Facebook and Apple news apps.
However, this one cuts deeper. That’s because The Guardian was the first UK medium to embrace Facebook. They were also the first British medium to join the Apple News App. But two years later, all of that is over. A Guardian representative talked about the reasons why. ?The person reflected on this trail run with Facebook and Apple. But he/she suggests these formats don’t line up with their “objectives”. Therefore, they will stop running all articles through Facebook and Apple News.
This new policy begins today. But let’s look at other reasons. Some say it’s a money factor. They look at the profits that come through these apps. Hence, The Guardian concludes they can make more by sticking to their own publishing outlets. Remember kids, media is a business too. Furthermore, they want…no…they need to cut cost and increase profits at the same time. So they cut off service of Facebook and Apple News. They’re also asking people for donations and putting together membership fees for regular readers. It’s a sign of the times.
Yes, some of the struggle is economical. Gone are the days where you pay monthly to get your favorite newspaper delivered to your home. Now, there are many, many, ways to get your news through online and social media means. Most of them are for free. Here in our Boston computer service shop, we all have our favorite online news websites and apps. Which one are mine, you ask? I’m not telling. I’m not trying to start another ‘what is fake news’ debate. But is that the other reason why The Guardian is doing this? Is this just about money? Or are there social and political issues involved here?