Question

In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Model Answer

Recently, the world's oldest newspaper, which had been published in Austria for more than 300 years, discontinued its print edition and moved online. Many people believe that this represents the future of the publishing industry. Personally, I think printed media will continue to exist as paying for something guarantees its quality.

The main reason I think traditional newspapers will survive is that the quality of online publications is not as good. Newspaper websites need to be updated multiple times a day and so the articles that appear are mostly recycled stories about celebrities. Journalists writing for print editions generally have more time to research and write their articles. I believe there will always be a market for more in-depth journalism about important stories.

I also think people will continue to buy books. This is because there are problems with those available online for free. Free online books fall into one of two categories; they are either self-published or out of copyright by virtue of their age. Self-published books have not been professionally edited and are not subject to any quality controls. This means that most of the material is badly written and derivative. Older books can be excellent but oftentimes people want to read more contemporary novels that address current social issues. As Amazon has shown, many people are happy to pay for these via online book stores.

In conclusion, while I think that the way we consume media may well change, I think people will always be willing to pay for good writing either online or in print.

(263 words)