Here’s an article from Reuters that looks more like propaganda and disinformation than actual news. This article can be very deceptive from a casual observation. It’s about the RIAA’s accusations of internet piracy being responsible for the drop in record sells over the past year. The first paragraph reads, “…music fans…pirate songs…rather than pay up to $20 for a new CD at their local record store.” It presents some figures from the RIAA, but some of the statistics are based on units shipped rather than sells. As a cause for lower sales, this article emphasizes CD burning much more than recession and the events in Sept. 2001. It also gives figures from a supposed survey, but no information was given on this supposed survey other than a few figures. (Was such a survey even conducted?)
The story goes on to read that the record labels have also been “buffeted by soaring marketing costs, waning interest in the teen pop phenomenon that has underpinned the industry in recent years, and a perceived lack of new star power.” However, overall, the article makes it seem as if CD burners are responsible for the drop in sales in 2001. The journalism is notably poor.
Link
Related
- Independents Thrive Despite Slump in CD Sales
- Music industry: Piracy is choking sales
- Album sales slump 8.8% in 2002
- Moby blames tech savvy fans for low sales
- 7% slide in CD sales – ha ha
