Sir, – Mark Paul paints a worrying picture for advocates of quality journalism by suggesting contemporary buying behaviour could mean the "war is already lost" for the newspaper industry, (Caveat, Business This Week, December 15th), but I contend a turning point has been reached.
Other content-driven industries today not only survive, but thrive, on the digital subscription model, and despite once feeling the sharp end of cuts in the newspaper industry myself, I believe this brings cause for optimism over the future of this critical pillar of our democracy.
There was a time when the war appeared unwinnable – as titles provided unlimited access to content on an uncertain digital battlefield, but the continuing rise of online commerce and multifarious subscription-based apps evidences a sea change in the”why should we pay” consumer mindset, driven not just by ethics, but habit too.
Your own growth in digital subscriptions this year matches that reported by other news organisations around the world, and indicates that 2017 may be the defining moment in the war on content as the model becomes embedded into consumers’ buying behaviour. – Yours, etc,
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RICHARD MULLINS,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.