No money in online journalism? Patience.
Most everyone would agree that the web is a superior medium than print to deliver news. It offers decentralized reporting, instant delivery, potentially universal distribution, low production and delivery costs, multimedia capabilities, a low barrier to entry for publishers and reporters, and more immediate interaction with readers. The only thing missing is that cozy feeling readers get from curling up with the newspaper on a Saturday morning.
Most everyone would also agree, though, that we need a more sustainable business model.
One of the things we’re missing with this lack of a thriving business model is widespread employment of editors. Publishers can easily start news websites because the barrier to entry is low. And many bloggers are willing (so far) to sacrifice the salary and work benefits that their print counterparts enjoy in exchange for the thrill of working in such a dynamic space.
But squeezed between publishers and writers, editors are often left out of the mix because the economics of online publishing don’t allow publishers to support them.
The result is that while the web has become a superior medium for certain kinds of news, such as breaking stories (disasters, public events, etc.), it is still far inferior for other very important types of stories (complicated investigative reports, for instance). The second type, of course, is usually far more resource-intensive than the first, requiring more money, staff, time, and vision.
A lively conversation is taking place on the web and in print about this tectonic shift in the media of journalism. Journalists, publishers, and people in other fields are all chiming in with their opinions and numbers, which is wonderful and the sign of a meaningful debate.
A lot of urgency is evident in the words of these commenters. And no doubt, the urgency is partly justified. The Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism estimates that roughly 5,000 newsroom jobs were cut in the US in 2008, and the upheaval in the lives of these employees is truly unfortunate.
Yes, the web is incredibly fast-moving, and many aspects of it can be measured in seconds, days, months, and years. But these are probably not the right units to measure a shift in media this enormous. We are in the relatively early days still. For online media to gain the maturity and financial resources that newspapers enjoyed at their peak will take many years, if not decades.
Finding a business model for online journalism is not trivial. People are losing jobs. But smart people are working on the problem. And we shouldn’t declare the web a failure as a medium to deliver news if we aren’t able to work out a sustainable business model within a few years.
In the meantime, though, some trail-blazing groups and people are hard at work discussing the editorial implications of publishing on the web. Their websites explore how reporters and news organizations can adapt the best principles of print journalism to the web and what unique challenges publishers face in the new medium. Here are the best ones:
- Online Journalism Blog:
“Publishes comment and analysis on developments in online journalism and online news... and all things Internet.” - Nieman Journalism Lab:
“An attempt to help journalism figure out its future in an Internet age.” - paidContent.org:
“Chronicles the economic evolution of digital content that is shaping the future of the media, information, and entertainment industries.” - American Journalism Review:
“Analyzes ethical dilemmas in the field and monitors the impact of technology on how journalism is practiced and on the final product.” - Poynter Online:
“A school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders... [and to] the value of independent journalism.” - JPROF:
“Designed to help people, especially students and teachers... better understand the place that journalism has in our society, the processes by which journalism operates, and the skills necessary to become a journalist.” - BuzzMachine:
By the director of the interactive journalism program at City University in New York and author of “What Would Google Do?” - The Journalism Iconoclast:
“Commentary, news, and advice on the ever-changing face of journalism.” - Newspaper Death Watch:
“Chronicles the decline of newspapers and the rebirth of journalism” (but more of the former).
As the economics of online publishing evolve to accommodate more and more editors, those editors will have some very valuable resources at their disposal to ensure that the journalism they nurture is responsible, accessible, and more dynamic than ever.