Reuters Understands the World Wide Web

Unlike AP, Reuters understands the world wide web. Why am I saying this? It is because unlike AP, Reuters encourages appropriate excerpting and referencing; Rueters believes in the "link economy" and it is clearly stated in what Reuters has recently tweeted :



Aside from that, Chris Ahearn, President, Media at Thomson Reuters, has written in the Reuters blog something that shows how different Reuters view the world wide web as compared to the very outdated view of AP. Here's an excerpt of his post :

I believe in the link economy. Please feel free to link to our stories — it adds value to all producers of content. I believe you should play fair and encourage your readers to read-around to what others are producing if you use it and find it interesting.

I don’t believe you could or should charge others for simply linking to your content. Appropriate excerpting and referencing are not only acceptable, but encouraged. If someone wants to create a business on the back of others’ original content, the parties should have a business relationship that benefits both.

Let’s stop whining and start having real conversations across party lines. Let’s get online publishers, search engines, aggregators, ad networks, and self-publishers (bloggers) in a virtual room and determine how we can all get along. I don’t believe any one of us should be the self-appointed Internet police; agreeing on a code of conduct and ethics is in everyone’s best interests.

Our news ecosystem is evolving and learning how it can be open, diverse, inclusive and effective. With all the new tools and capabilities we should be entering a new golden age of journalism – call it journalism 3.0. Let’s identify how we can birth it and agree what is “fair use” or “fair compensation” and have a conversation about how we can work together to fuel a vibrant, productive and trusted digital news industry. Let’s identify business models that are inclusive and that create a win-win relationship for all parties.

If you want to read the whole post you can go here.

If you do not know how AP views the world wide web, here's the best illustration of that view: AP Charges $12.50 to quote 5 words from them. My reaction: why would I give AP $12.50 for five words from their content? I can write 500 words anytime without the need to quote them, I can always quote other sources, better ones and more open minded ones, like Reuters.

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