What’s next for the news?

The future of journalismin an uncertain age

A golden age comes to an end

• From 1830s to 2005, newspapers enjoyed advertising dominance

A golden age comes to an end

• From 1830s to 2005, newspapers enjoyed advertising dominance

• A.J. Liebling on monopoly papers: “good, better, bestest”

A golden age comes to an end

• From 1830s to 2005, newspapers enjoyed advertising dominance

• A.J. Liebling on monopoly papers: “good, better, bestest”

• Philip Meyer: The Lords of Savoy no longer control the toll gate

Blowing up the old model

• Vertical destruction– Technology and social

change have wiped out advertising revenues

Blowing up the old model

• Vertical destruction– Technology and social

change have wiped out advertising revenues

– Craigslist, Monster.com, and the like have all but killed classifieds

Blowing up the old model

• Vertical destruction– Technology and social

change have wiped out advertising revenues

– Craigslist, Monster.com, and the like have all but killed classifieds

– Vibrant downtowns have given way to Wal-Mart and other big-box stores

Blowing up the old model

• Vertical destruction• Horizontal destruction– Everything is available,

so readers look beyond their local paper for national and foreign news

Blowing up the old model

• Vertical destruction• Horizontal destruction– Everything is available,

so readers look beyond their local paper for national and foreign news

– Specialty websites are serving niche audiences for sports, gossip, politics, and more

The decline of civic engagement

• In “Bowling Alone,” Putnam tied civic life to newspaper reading

The decline of civic engagement

• In “Bowling Alone,” Putnam tied civic life to newspaper reading

• If the public doesn’t care, then journalismis endangered

The decline of civic engagement

• In “Bowling Alone,” Putnam tied civic life to newspaper reading

• If the public doesn’t care, then journalismis endangered

• News organizations must create their own involved publics

Building a news constituency

• Civic journalism sought to involve the public in coverage of issues

Building a news constituency

• Civic journalism sought to involve the public in coverage of issues

• Citizen journalism and blogging were the next steps in the conversation

Building a news constituency

• Civic journalism sought to involve the public in coverage of issues

• Citizen journalism and blogging were the next steps in the conversation

• Limits to citizen media: Whom can we trust in the post-newspaper age?

Technology for journalists

A possible model for the future

• New Haven Independent is non-profit, online-only, supported by grants

A possible model for the future

• New Haven Independent is non-profit, online-only, supported by grants

• Staff of four travels city on bikes with cheap cameras and notebooks

A possible model for the future

• New Haven Independent is non-profit, online-only, supported by grants

• Staff of four travels city on bikes with cheap cameras and notebooks

• Focus on city life, moderated comments create new public square

Strengths of the Independent

• Not reliant on a shrinking baseof advertising

Strengths of the Independent

• Not reliant on a shrinking baseof advertising

• Online-only format means costs are low

Strengths of the Independent

• Not reliant on a shrinking baseof advertising

• Online-only format means costs are low

• Hyperlocal content and two-way conversation build civic engagement

Weaknesses of the Independent

• Small readership compared to city’s daily, the New Haven Register

Weaknesses of the Independent

• Small readership compared to city’s daily, the New Haven Register

• Uncertain funding in future years

Weaknesses of the Independent

• Small readership compared to city’s daily, the New Haven Register

• Uncertain funding in future years

• Few resources to doin-depth investigative journalism

Other projects to watch

• Non-profit ProPublica offers a new way of funding investigations

Other projects to watch

• Non-profit ProPublica offers a new way of funding investigations

• Global Voices curates the international blogosphere

Other projects to watch

• Non-profit ProPublica offers a new way of funding investigations

• Global Voices curates the international blogosphere

• GlobalPost seeks to fill gap left by newspapers and television networks

Have you seen the Globe today?

The Globe’s struggle for survival

• Major metropolitan newspapers are caught between two trends

The Globe’s struggle for survival

• Major metropolitan newspapers are caught between two trends– Too small to compete

with The New York Times and The Washington Post (and others) on national and foreign coverage

The Globe’s struggle for survival

• Major metropolitan newspapers are caught between two trends– Too big to compete with

community weeklies and small dailies on hyperlocal coverage

The Globe’s struggle for survival

• Major metropolitan newspapers are caught between two trends

• The Globe has reinvented itself as a local and regional paper

The Globe’s struggle for survival

• Major metropolitan newspapers are caught between two trends

• The Globe has reinvented itself as a local and regional paper

• Ad losses and a tide of red ink have given way to modest success

A multifaceted strategy

• Charge as much for the print edition as the market will bear

A multifaceted strategy

• Charge as much for the print edition as the market will bear

• Save Sunday paper while shifting to weekday e-delivery

A multifaceted strategy

• Charge as much for the print edition as the market will bear

• Save Sunday paper while shifting to weekday e-delivery

• Supplement paid BostonGlobe.com with free Boston.com site

The hub-and-spokes model

• Tech site BetaBoston drives readers to and from the Globe

The hub-and-spokes model

• Tech site BetaBoston drives readers to and from the Globe

• RadioBDC extends the brand to non-readers

The hub-and-spokes model

• Tech site BetaBoston drives readers to and from the Globe

• RadioBDC extends the brand to non-readers

• Crux covers theCatholic Church andis aimed at the English-speaking world

A time for optimism

A time for optimism

• For news consumers, more quality choices than ever before

A time for optimism

• For news consumers, more quality choices than ever before

• Challenge is to match journalism with revenue and civic engagement

A time for optimism

• For news consumers, more quality choices than ever before

• Challenge is to match journalism with revenue and civic engagement

• Today’s young journalists will define the future for all of us

(cc) 2009 and 2014 by Dan Kennedy

Creative Commons license can be found at

www.dankennedy.net

Some of the images in this slideshow may be protected by copyright. If you are the copyright-holder and would like credit, or if you would like me to remove any of them, please contact me at dan dot kennedy at neu dot edu.

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