Audiokio Productions

REUTERS: THE SHAMELESS ART OF HEADLINE - GRABBING

Reuters has published a horrible story arguing that digital music (e.g., mp3s) is actually more wasteful than physical music (e.g., CDs). Click here for the article.

Maybe their conclusion is fair, maybe it’s not. It’s impossible to tell because the article itself draws it’s conclusions from such a selective set of facts. A scientific researcher presented this article would quickly ask at least the following “first-blush” questions:

1. The article claims that CD-R sales have risen as physical music CD sales have declined, implying a rise in waste.
   • For all CD-R’s purchased, what proportion are used for music and what proportion for data? Only those used for music are relevant here.
   • For those CD-R’s that are specifically used
     for music, what sub-proportion are used to burn a full album (i.e.,
     “replacing” a CD that otherwise would have been purchased) and what
     sub-proportion are used to make mixes or burn non-commercially produced music? Only those replacing CDs should be counted.
2. The article seems to assume that a CD-R sold has the same negative environmental impact that a commercially purchased audio CD would have had.
   • How much waste for a commercially produced audio CD is associated with jewel cases, liner notes, and shrinkwrap? Most CD-R’s are sold by the spindle and would not cause such waste.
3. The article discusses waste and negative environmental impact resulting from the consumption and replacement of mp3 players (i.e., throwing out old players when you buy a new one).
   • How much similar waste and impact would have resulted from the consumption and replacement of CD players?
   • It’s unfair to say mp3 players cause waste equal to X. Instead, one should say that mp3 players cause an INCREMENTAL amount of waste equal to X minus CD players avoided.

Also, WTF Reuters, CDs are “digital” too.