A journalist from the South Coast has emphasised news outlets’ need for paying subscribers.
South Coast Reporter for The Daily Telegraph, Tom McGann, said journalists work hard for public interest news, and deserve to be compensated for it.
“This is a job. Like your job, we need to be paid,” Mr McGann said.
“Journalists have had to go through their due diligence to make sure what they’re writing is accurate.”
Mr McGann has said while some news should not be behind a paywall, others definitely should.
“Premium news content that we have worked very hard to get should be behind a paywall. Emergency news should not,” Mr McGann said.
Mr McGann understands the distaste for paid subscriptions in an era where everything has risen in price.
“I understand that a paywall is annoying, especially in this day where everything is so expensive,” he said.
“But, if you want to see [an article], we’ve worked to do it.”
Mr McGann said now with social media, anyone can comment on a Facebook post and believe they are a journalist.
“Someone posts if anyone heard that bang last night, and suddenly everyone becomes a journalist,” Mr McGann said.
“That’s what makes our positions so important … people know it’s not going to be an online social media speculation.”
Mr McGann said his efforts in reporting on local news have built strong and meaningful connections in the South Coast and furthered the importance of local stories.
