Reflections of a Newsosaur offers some of the wisest observations on the evolution of the news industry. Newspaper/online veteran Alan Mutter is agnostic in taking the business to task, in that he spares no critique for any quarter.
His latest post identifies some of the failing factors as journalists launch start-ups as fledgling entrepreneurs. His most potent point: "Instead of trying to build a business, they are trying to give themselves the job they always wanted."
Mutter talked to three start-ups, kept their identities secret, and found common problems in their strategies seeking success. Mostly, they just didn't act like business people. They spent hours chasing stories and tweaking their sites but had no energy left to chase their audience or an income.
Instead, the journalists are busy being journalists and hoping their artistic success will create commercial success.
"Unless they invest as much deliberate effort in building audience and revenues as they do into chasing stories, the journalists run the very real risk of going broke and/or wearing themselves out before they achieve the critical mass necessary to ensure the long-term viability of their ventures," he surmises.
His latest post identifies some of the failing factors as journalists launch start-ups as fledgling entrepreneurs. His most potent point: "Instead of trying to build a business, they are trying to give themselves the job they always wanted."
Mutter talked to three start-ups, kept their identities secret, and found common problems in their strategies seeking success. Mostly, they just didn't act like business people. They spent hours chasing stories and tweaking their sites but had no energy left to chase their audience or an income.
Instead, the journalists are busy being journalists and hoping their artistic success will create commercial success.
"Unless they invest as much deliberate effort in building audience and revenues as they do into chasing stories, the journalists run the very real risk of going broke and/or wearing themselves out before they achieve the critical mass necessary to ensure the long-term viability of their ventures," he surmises.
