The Future of News: Difference between revisions

From The Internet: Issues at the Frontier (course wiki)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
(Changed tenses)
Line 12: Line 12:
Yet at the same time there is a paradox; the web offers organisations a huge opportunity to reach out to audiences and connect with them in new ways.   
Yet at the same time there is a paradox; the web offers organisations a huge opportunity to reach out to audiences and connect with them in new ways.   


This class will seek to explore at least two of the challenges currently facing the media industry:
This class aimed to explore at least two of the challenges currently facing the media industry:


* What will the business model of the future look like? As Richard Sambrook , Director of the BBC's Global News division, [http://sambrook.typepad.com/sacredfacts/2008/11/future-of-news.html says]: “Newspapers and broadcasters have lived for decades by selling audiences to advertisers. Now the number of eyeballs per page or per programme is falling - but we have much greater detail and granularity about where they are going and what they are doing online.  Media organisations have to find a way to extract the commercial value from that”. Already, groups such as [http://spot.us/ spot.us] and [http://www.propublica.org/ Pro Publica] are experimenting with new business models, such as community-funded reporters and grant funded newsrooms. Others, such as the Christian Science Monitor, [http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1029/p25s01-usgn.html have ditched] the old way of doing things and have gone entirely online. Others, such as the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, seem to be following a [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/18/2450624.htm similar strategy] by cutting back on home deliveries.  Will these work? Are these the right approach?
* What will the business model of the future look like? As Richard Sambrook , Director of the BBC's Global News division, [http://sambrook.typepad.com/sacredfacts/2008/11/future-of-news.html says]: “Newspapers and broadcasters have lived for decades by selling audiences to advertisers. Now the number of eyeballs per page or per programme is falling - but we have much greater detail and granularity about where they are going and what they are doing online.  Media organisations have to find a way to extract the commercial value from that”. Already, groups such as [http://spot.us/ spot.us] and [http://www.propublica.org/ Pro Publica] are experimenting with new business models, such as community-funded reporters and grant funded newsrooms. Others, such as the Christian Science Monitor, [http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1029/p25s01-usgn.html have ditched] the old way of doing things and have gone entirely online. Others, such as the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, seem to be following a [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/18/2450624.htm similar strategy] by cutting back on home deliveries.  Will these work? Are these the right approach?
Line 18: Line 18:
* What will the newspapers or media outlets of the future look like?  The New York Times is using its website in [http://vizlab.nytimes.com/ new and innovative] ways. Others [http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-wiki-splash,0,1349109.htmlstory experiments], such as the LA Times wiki editorials, have been less successful. So, how should papers engage with their audience? Is news reporting now a collaborative process? How should they respond to citizen journalism? Are they competing or should they - and can they - work together?
* What will the newspapers or media outlets of the future look like?  The New York Times is using its website in [http://vizlab.nytimes.com/ new and innovative] ways. Others [http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-wiki-splash,0,1349109.htmlstory experiments], such as the LA Times wiki editorials, have been less successful. So, how should papers engage with their audience? Is news reporting now a collaborative process? How should they respond to citizen journalism? Are they competing or should they - and can they - work together?


This class will explore some of the issues facing the future of the news industry. Could they disappear? Does it matter if they do? What values are at stake beyond what the markets appear to be able to sustain? Should governments intervene to save them in the same way as they have decided to prop up the ailing car manufacturing industry? Is this an appropriate intervention? Should it be left to market forces?  Ultimately, what is the future for “old media”?
The class also explored some of the issues facing the future of the news industry. Could they disappear? Does it matter if they do? What values are at stake beyond what the markets appear to be able to sustain? Should governments intervene to save them in the same way as they have decided to prop up the ailing car manufacturing industry? Is this an appropriate intervention? Should it be left to market forces?  Ultimately, what is the future for “old media”?


==Question of the week==
==Question of the week==
Line 26: Line 26:
==Contributors==
==Contributors==


We are aiming for two guests: [http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/15/business/fi-timesbiobox15 Russ Stanton], editor at the LA Times, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Jarvis Jeff Jarvis], associate professor and director of the interactive journalism program at the City University of New York and author of [http://www.amazon.com/What-Would-Google-Jeff-Jarvis/dp/0061709719 What Would Google Do?].
We had two guests: [http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/15/business/fi-timesbiobox15 Russ Stanton], editor at the LA Times, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Jarvis Jeff Jarvis], associate professor and director of the interactive journalism program at the City University of New York and author of [http://www.amazon.com/What-Would-Google-Jeff-Jarvis/dp/0061709719 What Would Google Do?].


==Background and Discussion==
==Background and Discussion==
Line 81: Line 81:




Each class member will need to register for a [http://seesmic.com/ Seesmic] account. Seesmic is a video blogging application which has been called the "Twitter of video". It allows threaded video discussions. You can watch a video explainer [http://seesmic.com/video/UWFBfW1mfF here]
Each class registered for a [http://seesmic.com/ Seesmic] account. Seesmic is a video blogging application which has been called the "Twitter of video". It allows threaded video discussions. You can watch a video explainer [http://seesmic.com/video/UWFBfW1mfF here]


We would ideally like the class to be webcast and would encourage people to use twitter, blogs etc before, during and after the session.
We also webcast the class using [http://www.mogulus.com/thefutureofnews Mogulus] and encouraged people to use twitter during and after the session. We also used the [http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/questions/list.php Berkman question tool] to field questions from the audience members and those watching the webcast.  


==Task==
==Task==
Line 89: Line 89:
<div style="float:right; padding:0 1em; margin-left:1em; clear:both; width:66%; background:#ffc; border:1px dashed #575744;"><p> this blakjskfjasdlkfj asdlf jlaksdfj laksjdfl'aksjf'ladfjs'lajksdfl'k</p></div>
<div style="float:right; padding:0 1em; margin-left:1em; clear:both; width:66%; background:#ffc; border:1px dashed #575744;"><p> this blakjskfjasdlkfj asdlf jlaksdfj laksjdfl'aksjf'ladfjs'lajksdfl'k</p></div>


Clearly, this is a huge area and we are not going to be able to discuss every issues facing the newspaper industy. Instead, we will look to the future. We would also like the discussion to start before the class and continue after it finishes.  
Clearly, this was a huge area and we were not able to discuss every issues facing the newspaper industy. Instead, we tried to look to the future and encouraged the discussion to start before the class and continue after it finished.  


Hence, we would like each group to use a webcam or mobile phone to record an elevator pitch to be posted to [http://seesmic.com/ Seesmic] before the day of the class. The pitch should describe a new business model, working practice or technology that the group thinks newspapers should adopt. Alternatively, groups can pitch a policy proposal directed at the newspaper industry.  We'd also like you to explain what effect your idea would have. We have listed some relevant projects above as inspiration.  
Hence, we asked each group to use a webcam or mobile phone to record an elevator pitch and post it to [http://seesmic.com/ Seesmic] before the day of the class. The pitch was supposed to describe a new business model, working practice or technology that the group thought newspapers should adopt. Alternatively, groups could pitch a policy proposal directed at the newspaper industry.  We'd also asked groups to explain what effect their idea would have. We listed some relevant projects above as inspiration.  


Each pitch should be short - around 2-3 minutes - and will be played out and discussed in class in the broader context of the "question of the week" above. We will aim to get our guest speakers to record their own thoughts as well.  
Each pitch was short - around 2-3 minutes.
The video thread is archived [http://seesmic.com/videos/bInSML7Ie3 here]. We asked groups to post their pitch as a reply. If ideas overlapped with an previously posted video, we asked groups to reply building on the idea. We also asked our guest speakers and professors to record their own thoughts, to no avail. Y


We have started the video thread [http://seesmic.com/videos/bInSML7Ie3 here]. Groups can post their pitch as a reply. If you're idea overlaps with an already posted video, reply to that video building on the idea. Be as inventive as you like with both the idea and the video. Replies can either be recorded "live" or prerecorded and then uploaded. Please post your reply before midnight on Sunday 08 March, to give us and the contributors time to look though them before class. Remember, your video can be accessed and replied to by anyone with a Seesmic account.


We will also be sending around a short survey before the class to get a sense of people's news consumption.
After all the videos were submitted we edited some of the highlights to play out in class.
 
We also sent around a short survey before the class to get a sense of people's news consumption.

Revision as of 17:02, 4 May 2009

Topic owners: Dharmishta Rood, Jon Fildes

back to syllabus

This is the landing page for the 2009 session of IIF:The Future of News. In this class we grappled with future models of news production, revenue models and distribution. For this particular couse session, student participants were asked to submit surveys about their news consumption and also create video presentations of future newsroom business models on seesmic. The course discussion was facilitated by discussion with Russ Stanton, LATimes editor, and Jeff Jarvis, a prominent blogger and author.

Summary

this blakjskfjasdlkfj asdlf jlaksdfj laksjdfl'aksjf'ladfjs'lajksdfl'k

The traditional media industry is in turmoil. Circulation of newspapers is falling. Some, such as the Tribune group, are saddled with huge debts and have filed for bankruptcy. Staff are being laid off, costs are being cut and foreign bureaus are being shut. Audiences are fragmenting, advertising spending is plummeting and the valuations of companies are dropping. TV and radio are experiencing similar problems. Some organisations, such as Pasadena Now, have even begun outsourcing local news reporting to India.

Most of these changes have been blamed on the arrival of the web, which has changed how information is produced and consumed. Now, anyone can be a news gatherer, publisher and distributor. The balance of power has changed. Yet at the same time there is a paradox; the web offers organisations a huge opportunity to reach out to audiences and connect with them in new ways.

This class aimed to explore at least two of the challenges currently facing the media industry:

  • What will the business model of the future look like? As Richard Sambrook , Director of the BBC's Global News division, says: “Newspapers and broadcasters have lived for decades by selling audiences to advertisers. Now the number of eyeballs per page or per programme is falling - but we have much greater detail and granularity about where they are going and what they are doing online. Media organisations have to find a way to extract the commercial value from that”. Already, groups such as spot.us and Pro Publica are experimenting with new business models, such as community-funded reporters and grant funded newsrooms. Others, such as the Christian Science Monitor, have ditched the old way of doing things and have gone entirely online. Others, such as the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, seem to be following a similar strategy by cutting back on home deliveries. Will these work? Are these the right approach?
  • What will the newspapers or media outlets of the future look like? The New York Times is using its website in new and innovative ways. Others experiments, such as the LA Times wiki editorials, have been less successful. So, how should papers engage with their audience? Is news reporting now a collaborative process? How should they respond to citizen journalism? Are they competing or should they - and can they - work together?

The class also explored some of the issues facing the future of the news industry. Could they disappear? Does it matter if they do? What values are at stake beyond what the markets appear to be able to sustain? Should governments intervene to save them in the same way as they have decided to prop up the ailing car manufacturing industry? Is this an appropriate intervention? Should it be left to market forces? Ultimately, what is the future for “old media”?

Question of the week

What values are at stake in the newspaper industry and what could - or should - be done to maintain them?

Contributors

We had two guests: Russ Stanton, editor at the LA Times, and Jeff Jarvis, associate professor and director of the interactive journalism program at the City University of New York and author of What Would Google Do?.

Background and Discussion

this blakjskfjasdlkfj asdlf jlaksdfj laksjdfl'aksjf'ladfjs'lajksdfl'k


Readings:


Background information:

Relevant Projects:

Recent news news that may be of interest to your group: http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/02/10/2211220&from=rss Gwen 19:19, 11 February 2009 (UTC)

And another, which you've probably already seen: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1877191,00.html Gwen 12:26, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

Technology

this blakjskfjasdlkfj asdlf jlaksdfj laksjdfl'aksjf'ladfjs'lajksdfl'k


Each class registered for a Seesmic account. Seesmic is a video blogging application which has been called the "Twitter of video". It allows threaded video discussions. You can watch a video explainer here

We also webcast the class using Mogulus and encouraged people to use twitter during and after the session. We also used the Berkman question tool to field questions from the audience members and those watching the webcast.

Task

this blakjskfjasdlkfj asdlf jlaksdfj laksjdfl'aksjf'ladfjs'lajksdfl'k

Clearly, this was a huge area and we were not able to discuss every issues facing the newspaper industy. Instead, we tried to look to the future and encouraged the discussion to start before the class and continue after it finished.

Hence, we asked each group to use a webcam or mobile phone to record an elevator pitch and post it to Seesmic before the day of the class. The pitch was supposed to describe a new business model, working practice or technology that the group thought newspapers should adopt. Alternatively, groups could pitch a policy proposal directed at the newspaper industry. We'd also asked groups to explain what effect their idea would have. We listed some relevant projects above as inspiration.

Each pitch was short - around 2-3 minutes. The video thread is archived here. We asked groups to post their pitch as a reply. If ideas overlapped with an previously posted video, we asked groups to reply building on the idea. We also asked our guest speakers and professors to record their own thoughts, to no avail. Y


After all the videos were submitted we edited some of the highlights to play out in class.

We also sent around a short survey before the class to get a sense of people's news consumption.

Retrieved from "http://cyber.harvard.edu/iif/?title=The_Future_of_News&oldid=2510"