It was my turn to present to the journalism class this week and, working alongside fellow students Nick Scully and Ben O'Neill, we focused our attention on the above topic, who pays for journalism? It has been determined that whilst different mediums, such as newspapers and the internet, are earning revenue through advertising and subscriptions, a lack of funding overall is causing problems for the industry.
As Nick Scully covered in his presentation, Christopher Warren, in his report on the Future of Journalism summit, pointed out that more than 12,000 journalists lost their jobs in 2008 alone. This is due to an increased workload on journalists, who are expected to write articles for both print and online versions. So, in a figurative sense, journalists are paying with their jobs and livelihoods through the lack of revenue being generated.
Although journalism is currently struggling, the industry is not all about making money. As I mentioned in my presentation, there are not-for-profit, foundation-funded, organisations being set up, such as ProPublica, who are supporting the investigative element of journalism. Their aim is give the general public information which would otherwise not be possible, due to a fixation with commercial incentives. Therefore, without these organisations working to keep investigative journalism, the general public would also pay through a lack of knowledge and information.
But what is a plausible solution to the current crisis in the journalism industry? My fellow presenter, Ben O'Neill, offered the suggestion of a niche model, with journalists attracting audiences, and advertisers, through the quality of their work, not the quantity. Even though internet users can discover news for free on blogs and twitter accounts, courtesy of citizen journalists, many still prefer their information to come from a reliable, trustworthy and trained source.
With the increasing decline of newspapers and the uncertainty lingering over full-time job prospects, the internet appears to be the best way for journalists to make a profit. I'll refer once again to Christopher Warren's statement, that media companies and journalists need to invest in quality and the future, whilst attempting to "adapt to the economic and technological landscape, as it will be those companies that remember and nurture their core business that will survive."
Personally, I would be willing to try any alternative option, such as a niche model, in order to try and make a respectable living. Journalism is not all about money, the not-for-profit organisations are examples of this, and writing articles initially for little to no money (before a decent sized audience is reached) needs to be expected. However, like any profession, a profit has to try and be made eventually for us to be able to live in comfort.
I do actually agree with you Ben. I'd hate to think that newspapers will one day not be printed, which has happened in the United States. Quite a few have even closed down for good, which is very worrying. They will always have a presence though, even if it is on the internet.
ReplyDeleteWe, as journalists definitely need to adapt to the internet. A lot of people get their news from the internet (including me, through newspapers), so, this definitely is the future. It especially becomes pertinet, as those of us who want to become print journalists have to fight just to get a job, whereas, if we turn to the internet, we can create blogs, and websites, and even contribute to other news organisation websites and earn money doing it.
This is something that was raised in my discussion with former News Ltd journalist and ABC Radio producer, Greg Hall yesterday. The internet does creat niche markets. I, for one am going to continue using my blog to comment on issues around the world. Especially cricket though, as it is my major love, aside from writing. Here on the Central Coast, there is very little coverage of it, so if I start, then this will change. Perhaps I can even start putting ads on my blogs and earn money that way.
There's no doubt that we need to use the internet for our personal gain though. Otherwise, we will not earn a living.