Newspapers in the United States earn most of their money from selling space for advertising. The rates they charge are tied to the number of readers. But the number of people who buy newspapers has been falling for years. And this traditional business model had not worked very well on the Internet, especially in a bad economy. Many newspaper companies have large debts from buying other papers. Some papers have recently closed or declared bankruptcy or reduced their operations.  Newspapers are looking for new ways to reinvent themselves and new ways to earn money. That includes giving new consideration to an old idea-charging for at least some of the material that most papers now publish online for free. Internet access to newspapers means that more people may read the news, which is good for society. But good reporting costs money. The question is how much people are willing to pay for news that they have got used to receiving for free. The look of American newspapers changed after USA Today arrived in 1982. Most of the stories were short. There was heavy use of color1 and images. People who compared it to television did not necessarily mean that as praise. But the new design succeeded and influenced many other papers. Now newspapers are looking to redesign themselves for an increasingly online world. Millions of people would rather read papers like USA Today and The New York Times for free on the Web than pay for a printed version. Publishers who chose that business plan might regret it now, but they might not have had much choice. Survival means changing as conditions change. Like any other business, newspapers have to balance their needs with the need of their customers. What is the main idea of the passage?
Advertising industry in America is going through some changes. Great changes have taken place in the American media. American newspapers will have a bright future. American newspapers are facing great difficulties.
Question: Newspapers in the United States earn most of their money from selling space for advertising. The rates they charge are tied to the number of readers. But the number of people who buy newspapers has been falling for years. And this traditional business model had not worked very well on the Internet, especially in a bad economy. Many newspaper companies have large debts from buying other papers. Some papers have recently closed or declared bankruptcy or reduced their operations.  Newspapers are looking for new ways to reinvent themselves and new ways to earn money. That includes giving new consideration to an old idea-charging for at least some of the material that most papers now publish online for free. Internet access to newspapers means that more people may read the news, which is good for society. But good reporting costs money. The question is how much people are willing to pay for news that they have got used to receiving for free. The look of American newspapers changed after USA Today arrived in 1982. Most of the stories were short. There was heavy use of color1 and images. People who compared it to television did not necessarily mean that as praise. But the new design succeeded and influenced many other papers. Now newspapers are looking to redesign themselves for an increasingly online world. Millions of people would rather read papers like USA Today and The New York Times for free on the Web than pay for a printed version. Publishers who chose that business plan might regret it now, but they might not have had much choice. Survival means changing as conditions change. Like any other business, newspapers have to balance their needs with the need of their customers. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Advertising industry in America is going through some changes.
B. Great changes have taken place in the American media.
C. American newspapers will have a bright future.
D. American newspapers are facing great difficulties.
Answer: