The Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University released an essay today --- admittedly part survey and part manifesto --- on the impact of the digital transformation on the business and standards of journalism.
The three authors --- notables C.W. Anderson, Emily Bell and Clay Shirky --- identify many of the critical challenges for journalism as the traditional models are replaced by "Post-Industrial Journalism."
its authors' starting points involve five beliefs:
— Journalism matters.
— Good journalism has always been subsidized.
— The internet wrecks advertising subsidy.
— Restructuring is, therefore, a forced move.
— There are many opportunities for doing good work in new ways.
From there they examine what journalists can do, what organizations can do to support them, and what the new media ecology looks like.
Its advice for journalists: Know yourself and know the tools you need. For existing organizations: Decide what you want to do and shed the rest, develop partnerships and make the cost of everything excellent and cheap. For new players: Survive.
The three authors --- notables C.W. Anderson, Emily Bell and Clay Shirky --- identify many of the critical challenges for journalism as the traditional models are replaced by "Post-Industrial Journalism."
its authors' starting points involve five beliefs:
— Journalism matters.
— Good journalism has always been subsidized.
— The internet wrecks advertising subsidy.
— Restructuring is, therefore, a forced move.
— There are many opportunities for doing good work in new ways.
From there they examine what journalists can do, what organizations can do to support them, and what the new media ecology looks like.
Its advice for journalists: Know yourself and know the tools you need. For existing organizations: Decide what you want to do and shed the rest, develop partnerships and make the cost of everything excellent and cheap. For new players: Survive.
