There is a growing divide between the Web 2.0 world and professionals who write or perform for a living. Consumers think the world can support both — that people can stop paying for music, and artists will keep producing the same high-quality songs we’re used to enjoying. That we can read blogs until the cows come home, but still turn to CNN.com or The Boston Globe when we want our ‘real news.’

The truth is, we’re in a time of transition, and it’s very uncomfortable for many in traditional media. Newspapers, magazines and the music industry are all struggling to understand where they can fit into this new world and still have a business. Reporters expect a paycheck for their work, while “citizen journalists” expect nothing but readers (for now). Professional writers still need to be paid, while others who do so as a hobby (e.g., Wikipedia) find it a fun diversion (without all the messy research or fact-checking).

I suspect that this will work out in everyone’s favor eventually. Professionals who want to be paid for their work can be or are (at least in our small part of the world). It’s just a matter of understanding a business model that will work for you. Some newspapers are starting to “get it” and adjust their businesses appropriately. But there are no easy answers as people’s tastes and needs for news, information and entertainment are in a state of changing. Times of change are always scary, but I’m optimistic that years from now, we will have found a balance between the Web 2.0 world and the traditional world of publishing.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 19 Jun 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.