The annual Newsroom Barometer is out from the World Editors Forum and Reuters its results suggest greater comprehension of the quality and quantity of newsroom change necessary in the time ahead. The Zogby poll of more than 700 editors and news executives in 120 countries was conducted in March.
A year ago editors were assessing the landscape differently, with some hesitation or early judgment of the value of multi-platform journalism.
Now an overwhelming number see integrated newsrooms as the norm, see the multi-platform journalist as the basic model, and view outsourcing as a given on certain functions.
Certainly, more want to hire more journalists, but more view online as the most common means of consumption within five years, and more also see news as a free commodity in the future.
A big interest and concern: Training. Editors are a little anxious that, having understood the need, they may not have the means to carry out the transformation.
A big priority for their media: Analysis and commentary. Editors view the value of value-added information as increasing in an age of commoditized conent.
A big worry: The loss of young readers. This is viewed as their biggest issue, and no one seems to have the answer.
