Changing Newsrooms from Within

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  interestedreader03/18/08 Report as spam
  1

  News coverage

  Interesting post. I believe the report also said that the news agenda is narrowing since the advent of online journalism, with two stories -- the Iraq war and the presidential election -- accounting for some 25% of news last year. Narrowing of the topics covered, as traditional news media shrink staff and new news media can't afford a lot of reporters, is bad, of course. But it's interesting that the topics that dominate online are serious and important ones, as much as frivolous news. After all, recent reports say the Iraq war has virtually disappeared from TV news (while Britney Spears has not)...

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  hotweir03/18/08 Report as spam
  2

  More from the study

  Yes, you are right, the report contains a fascinating content survey that captured this meta-trend of a narrowing of focus within major media. Good point.
  
  It also states that the major brand news companies are not losing audiences so much as the ability to get them to pay. All of a sudden, old media and new media are right back to square one: What is the business model?

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  hellodavid03/18/08 Report as spam
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  RE: Changing Newsrooms from Within

  I always suspected journalists were the entrepeneurial ones. This seems to support their inclusion rather than exclusion defining the business of media.

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  BradGo03/18/08 Report as spam
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  Best coverage?

  David -
  So if Iraq and the presidential election are top issues for readers, who do you feel is covering them the best? Online vs. print? Particular reporters doing any in-depth research?
  
  With such demand, there must be better articles out there than what Google points me to. For Iraq, each day its "x people killed by a roadside bomb" (with no analysis) and for the election it's either an "experience vs. change" article with no analysis of candidate's experience or ability to change, or yet another article on the delegate count (with a typical 'political site' reporting conflicting totals).
  
  If there are people writing compelling articles, I'd be curious whether they are predominantly still in print media, online sites, or personal blogs.

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  hotweir03/18/08 Report as spam
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  Re: Best Coverage?

  Various British news organizations provide the strongest coverage of the Iraq war, IMHO; and I like Josh Marshall's TPM on the Presidential primary coverage. Also, Slate, Salon, HuffingtonPost, and various other alternative sites.

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  julievp03/18/08 Report as spam
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  investing in research

  tapping into the editorial side is smart but we need strategic research and development to rethink the business model. i don't think enough of that will happen until a few companies take big risks and are successful. the best thing i've heard recently is that a hearst board member and rupert murdoch reportedly told people to lower profit expectations for papers: http://www.followthemedia.com/fittoprint/bennack13032008.htm

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  twanless@...07/23/08 Report as spam
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  RE: Changing Newsrooms from Within

  I think the large number of reporters and writers leaving journalism in droves is probably the most telling fact around this subject. They're voting with their feet.
  
  They were always more entrepreneurial, but were usually squelched by a conservative culture and management scared to death of change. But most stayed because it was the only -- and the best -- game in town. It no longer is.
  
  Anyone who has ever worked at a newspaper has a basket of stories about stupid/unimaginative management. The paradox of journalism is that while they're always writing about change, they're the least likely to actually embrace it. So, under pressure, they resort to the least imaginative option -- rampant cost cutting and narrowing of coverage.
  
  All I see today is the best and brightest getting out as fast as they can because the ship, maddening enough when it was afloat, is now going down.
  
  Tony Wanless
  Knowpreneur Consultants