News is a part of all of our lives.

We see and hear news stories everywhere. Television, radio, websites, and social media are just a few of the platforms where news stories may appear. This is generally a good thing, since it gives broader access to news stories at the click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger. There are, however, issues that come with an abundance of news stories.

The Fake News Conundrum

The 2016 United States election cycle was dominated by the insurgence of fake news. Countless stories appeared across the Web claiming bizarre and absurd things about the presidential candidates. These false stories were propagated by social media algorithms, creating virtual echo chambers all across social media as users shared them millions of times. Fake news stories often appear legitimate, having the trademarks of legitimate news websites. Some websites post disclaimers in fine print, warning users of the false or satirical nature of their posts, but many websites do not, making it difficult to discern whether the news item you're reading has any credibility.

Determining the credibility of a news source has even more relevance recently, considering the Facebook-Russian ad controversy, and even the propagation of fake news stories following the recent shooting in Las Vegas. How can we be sure we are supporting news organizations who aren't trying to disseminate false and divisive information?

Print Journalism

In the background during all of these controversies is print journalism. Still steaming along after hundreds of years, hundreds of local newspapers are still printing daily editions, featuring the hard work of journalists and editors. They cover all of the large national headlines as well as less glamorous local stories which impact the lives of their readers. My interest in print journalism was ignited by a segment from HBO's Last Week Tonight, which focused on the declining print journalism industry. After watching the segment again before writing this post, I was reminded of the importance of print journalism and local reporting.

Internet news stories almost always rely on reporting from local newspapers. Even shows like Last Week Tonight would not have much to talk about without local journalists. Next time you watch one of the segments from the show, pay attention to how often they cite newspaper sources. If you watch local news or even national news, you will also notice this.

Promoting the hard work and dedication of local reporters is the best defense against fake news. However, it has become less popular to subscribe to a local newspaper because we have become accustomed to getting our news for free via various online sources. Many newspapers have moved operations online as well, which has gained them some revenue, but the circulation numbers continue to decrease.

Why I Pay For News

Over the past year, I made the decision to buck the trend among my age group and subscribe to two print newspapers (the subscriptions also came with digital access). First was The Wall Street Journal, mainly because they have a great deal for students, but also because I enjoy following financial news. Next, I subscribed to my local newspaper, The Roanoke Times. I have very much enjoyed receiving both newspapers. The articles are well-written, and I often find out about things I would have never learned otherwise, especially regarding local events and happenings.

Subscribing to my local newspaper is a way I contribute to quality journalism. In fact, the parent company of The Roanoke Times, BH Media Group recently eliminated 289 positions across its 30 newspapers due to declining revenue. With more positions being eliminated, there are fewer staff members to cover local events, news, and most importantly government. Who else other than a local newspaper would cover items like the closing of a local toy museum, the DMV's response to a potentially inappropriate custom license tag, school drug problems, and the rescheduling of a city council meeting?

All of the stories in the above sentence were featured in today's print edition of The Roanoke Times. That means that hard-working reporters spent hours writing the articles. Paying for the newspaper is how I show my appreciation for their hard work, and right now, subscribing to a news service is one of the only ways you can support the efforts of local journalists. But what if there was a system that allowed everyone to support quality news while still generating revenue for hard-working journalists?

The Blockchain Solution

Enter Steemit and Smart Media Tokens (SMTs).

If you've been on Steemit for any time at all, you know that the concept I just mentioned is already being implemented here on a social media platform. Users generate content, and other users can show their appreciation for said content by giving upvotes, which give rewards paid out from the generation of new blocks on the blockchain.

Imagine this concept on a news website, or even across a network of news websites. Steemit has just announced its plan for Smart Media Tokens, which would allow such a system to be implemented. Each registered user could purchase an upfront "subscription," which would provide a certain amount of Smart Media Tokens for that network of news websites. Let's call them NWS tokens. With your NWS tokens, you could vote for news stories that you like and earn curation rewards. The authors of the posts could receive direct rewards for the articles they have published. Tokens would also promote more time spent on news websites since users could earn more NWS tokens for posting comments and interacting with other users.

Since the tokens are based on the STEEM blockchain, these rewards would translate into increased revenue for news companies and a rewards system for their readers, unlike any system that has been imagined. I certainly don't understand all of the details of SMTs, but I believe this to be one application that would benefit the journalism community and humanity as a whole by rewarding the high-quality work of journalists.

Outside of a blockchain-based solution, there have been a few efforts made to reignite interest in paying for news. Just this week, Google has announced that it will be ending a controversial policy that allowed free access to content on news websites that would normally be behind a paywall. Interestingly enough, I first learned of this news item via a print source.

Since Google controls search results, it has enough influence to drive people to subscribe to news websites. This could lead to an increase in revenue for newspapers, which would help mitigate many of the issues I've presented today. Alternatively, it could drive frustrated users to search for other free sources online, which may not be as reputable. We can only hope that efforts such as these will contribute to high journalistic standards and reverse the trend of newspaper layoffs.

So What Can You Do to Help?

I would encourage you to find your local newspaper and subscribe. If you can't afford a print subscription, consider a digital subscription, as they are often less expensive. Newspapers often have great mobile apps that are useful for breaking news notifications. You can even get a subscription delivered to your Kindle each day. Can't afford a subscription at all? Go pick up a paper for $1 at the local grocery store and find the editor's email address. Send them a note about how you appreciate the work they do for the community. Show your support for local journalism in whatever way you can.

Final Thoughts

I believe the blockchain will provide a solution to the decline of print media, and it can't come fast enough. We need more dedicated journalists to report on local government, high school sports, petty crime, and much, much more. I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Do you subscribe to a news service? How much more likely would you be to seek out trustworthy sources if they offered blockchain rewards? Do you foresee any issues with this system when it comes to journalistic integrity? Comment and let me know.

Sources are important, even for Steemit posts. I evaluate each source that I link to before posting it here to ensure the best quality of information. If you would like more information on this subject, I would recommend you go back through this post and read some of the articles I've linked to. If you only pick one, I would encourage you to watch the Last Week Tonight segment on journalism. Let me know what you think!

Further reading:

• Despite subscription surges for largest U.S. newspapers, circulation and revenue fall for industry overall -Pew Research Center
• Google Plans to Help News Publishers Increase Subscriptions- Wall Street Journal
• Campaign Calls for Use of Trusted Sources to Fight Proliferation of Fake News -News Media Alliance
• Find a Newspaper Near You (United States)
• Subscribe to a Newspaper on Kindle -Amazon

Images used in this post are either my own or obtained on Pixabay.