For Friday, August 16, 2013, here are some media stories of note:
The Economist writes that "after years of wreaking havoc, the Internet is helping media to grow." It chronicles the rise of subscription services, download fees and new businesses from old media, but acknowledges that the size of the newspaper and music businesses will not be as large. What remains to be seen, it says, is whether journalism can be supported. Then again, it will be easier to experiment and avoid some costly missteps.
Jay Rosen, the New York University media scholar, writes in his Pressthink blog on the changing composition and structure of the fourth estate. Institutionalized press used to monopolize, but now there are others who can pick up the tools of journalism and deliver information without them. He points to the collaboration between former security employee Edward Snowden and columnist Glenn Greenwald (who writes for The Guardian but is financed in large measure by his readers' support). "Wise professionals in journalism will understand this, and act accordingly."
Jack Shafer, the media columnist for Reuters, writes that news has never made money and isn't likely to do so. It has always been part of a bundle of content that collectively cross-subsidizes and pays off. It will be necessary for philanthropists to step in and ensure journalism is underwritten. Otherwise, he argues, the winds of technology will have to "blow a fresh miracle through the news business."
The Economist writes that "after years of wreaking havoc, the Internet is helping media to grow." It chronicles the rise of subscription services, download fees and new businesses from old media, but acknowledges that the size of the newspaper and music businesses will not be as large. What remains to be seen, it says, is whether journalism can be supported. Then again, it will be easier to experiment and avoid some costly missteps.
Jay Rosen, the New York University media scholar, writes in his Pressthink blog on the changing composition and structure of the fourth estate. Institutionalized press used to monopolize, but now there are others who can pick up the tools of journalism and deliver information without them. He points to the collaboration between former security employee Edward Snowden and columnist Glenn Greenwald (who writes for The Guardian but is financed in large measure by his readers' support). "Wise professionals in journalism will understand this, and act accordingly."
Jack Shafer, the media columnist for Reuters, writes that news has never made money and isn't likely to do so. It has always been part of a bundle of content that collectively cross-subsidizes and pays off. It will be necessary for philanthropists to step in and ensure journalism is underwritten. Otherwise, he argues, the winds of technology will have to "blow a fresh miracle through the news business."
