Question of the Day!

I have not read other responses here.

Media covers a lot - newspapers, movies, TV, books, art, etc. - and it is difficult to ascertain.

My thought would be audience. We pay for movie tickets, to buy books and CDs and newspapers, etc. But when it comes to things like TV, unless it is the UK's TV licence deal, that can be an issue. There is pay-TV and cable TV and streaming services also cost money, so that I guess is similar.

I know commercials and product placement do fund, but this can create a conflict of interest, especially when it comes to news media, if said sponsor does the wrong thing. We see it all the time in Rupert Murdoch owned media; when one of their major sponsors goes through an issue, it is not even mentioned, let alone reported.

It's when you get media services who steal from creators (Spotify, KindleU, etc.) that I think media is just made up of thieves and swindlers, and maybe things have always been this crappy.

But who should pay? Honestly, user pays and no advertising or sponsorship at all.