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frantically for solutions. The Internet resides at the core of the problem
industry. But this isn’t a choice. News media cannot simply opt out of
the future and continue with the old model. Social and market forces
have altered the way people conceive of and consume news regardless
of how editors and media moguls contend they should look at news.
The current market runs short on patience for idealistic journalists. Yet,
start with what future news media should provide. What does
to future journalism see it as a service. What does the reader want out
of our service? Equally important, what services will readers pay for?
also focus efforts on the crucial question for future news media: What
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has value? Quality journalism has value. The trick to reimagining the
Internet age
Traditionally, the content value of news has never paid for itself.
customers per thousand, and thus, mass was key for advertisers — the
century media companies, while advertisers were stuck with the best
sells ads that appear only when consumers search for certain key
media content online. Where there was scarcity, now everyone can join
the conversation, and the Internet has given all journalists a lesson in
difference.
been claimed by Web startups. Web tools and the Internet’s affinity for
foresight. The old guard failed to see opportunities while sites like
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Twitter breaking news, Yelp restaurant reviews, Topix local news, Digg
giant, inert conglomerates and delving deeply into debt. Zealous focus
media
announced that online readers will soon be required to pay for news
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content. This seems logical on its face because it takes a lot of money
to produce news and giving it away for free in hard times would be
financial news, which has a proven value for investors and business
owners. It is unclear that general news stories can match this value.
Further, The Journal has never given away content for free and
partner with other media organizations and fight back against news
serious problems. Google offers news sites the ability to opt out of its
Internet gatekeeper that most news sites derive around a third of their
traffic from it. Should a news site choose to defy Google, many fear
readers will simply never find the content, and advertising revenue will
However, this also isn’t likely to solve anything. Barring radical, and
from the ethos of legacy media. These approaches advocate low- and
hunger for profits and relieve their innovative inertia. For example,
investigative group Pro Public has gained major publicity for hiring big-
foundations. All this seems to at least show the high potential for
community.
understand how people use the Web see it as a resource and tool
tools that people can use to produce and aid in their own endeavors,
could hold the answer for news companies. Platforms have high value
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a web platform will stick around, come back more often, and generally
use the site more, which could result in much greater ad revenue.
The BBC has discovered that media companies may not even need to
news media.
advertising model expands the notion of whom the news can serve and
reporting and public interest. This view, however, comes primarily from
media has dealt with bias for centuries, developing effective ways to
journalism as a service.
media sites with vast quantities of archived content already have the
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raw material to forge new services. Accordingly, the new model for
morning commute and provide tips that allow them to get to work
seek out what they want to know. Editors can no long afford to debate
what makes the front page each morning because readers can make
making the advertising more viable on the Web. The future of news