Where Does U.S. Journalism Go From Here?
Many are brainstorming, and soul-searching, on what to do following last week's major layoffs.
You probably heard by now about the vicious sweep through the news industry last week. LA Times, Business Insider, TIME, and Sports Illustrated laid off scores of their staff members, while the staff at Conde Nast’s famous magazines did a one-day strike while the N Daily News and Forbes did the same albeit longer, in protest towards the sweeping layoffs in the news industry.
It was a devastating week for anyone involved in journalism or who watches it closely. It almost felt like doomsday.
Many are wondering, and even predicting, that U.S. journalism is finished or at least the industry itself is in big trouble.
Some of the most noted people in the business, to whichever degree, are weighing in on what went wrong.
One is Jay Rosen, a journalism professor at NYU. As a guest on CNN, he gave his take on what went wrong and they are the following: the advertising industry does not need newspapers and magazines like they used to; the Internet is changing how the media is consumed, particularly when it comes to news articles or events being posted on social media; lack of diversity in the newsroom; and big tech could care less about journalism (ie, Facebook retiring news tab in Canada, and threats to do the same for UK, Germany, France). You also have billionaires who did not save journalism as hoped for (the LA Times is the big example) while hedge funds are devouring dying local newspapers, as I explained back in 2021. You can read more of Jay Rosen’s points here.
Jeff Jarvis, an editor turned advisor to media companies, startups, and foundation, and also the director of the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY (my alma mater), wrote on his blog, Buzz Machine, about how the old way of a running a news business is long dead and he admits what he thought could be done in the digital age cannot be done. He also mentions one thing that needs to be tackled: “The internet isn’t killing news. It is killing the mass and the myth that kept media alive all these years: that our attention is a commodity to be owned, bought, and sold.”
Politico gave its thoughts on this by saying while journalism isn’t dying, it is in trouble. This article by Jack Schafer also points out how advertising these days no longer needs newspapers and magazines if they can do it for free on social media. Perhaps subscriptions can help, just as the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post have been staying afloat.
Me? I disagree that subscriptions should be a direction to go into. As I explained on Threads, we are a subscription-saturated society, and not everyone can afford or keep track of these subscriptions (even though I suggest my readers subscribe at the end of each newsletter, har-har). I do, though, think there needs to be more flexibility with subscriptions with the audience, and even us journalists as well. It really doesn’t make sense for news publications to make money off of other journalists who are in the same boat as their staff in many ways.
I also believe everyone needs to brainstorm now and figure out what to do to keep news sustainable and stop the avalanche from crashing through every newsroom in the country.
By the way, you may notice that TV news isn’t facing the same problems as print and digital news. That’s because their business structure is different as much as their medium.
Now while journalists try to figure out what to do next, I believe it is important for readers to get worried and upset over these layoffs too. Not surprisingly, some Americans are laughing at these demises, but they shouldn’t because they’ll be on the demise someday. But it is said nearly a third of Americans are not following the news. That’s huge. Why aren’t they? Is it the lack of trust? The negative stories that frequent news publications? The sensationalism? The subtle or blatant bias, depending on where you turn?
Maybe journalism lost its way with bias, sensationalism, and being over-competitive. Some have or are learning their lessons. Now how to gain the audience’s trust? Some people say it needs to be reminded that journalism is a huge part of democracy. It is indeed. But with so many Americans not voting in major elections or even registered to vote, how can anyone be convinced that democracy and journalism go hand-in-hand?
Not to mention the lives of many Americans: fast-paced, very busy lives, short attention spans. Does anyone have the time to read a news article? Will anyone arrange to have the time?
Social media is where many people get their news, especially younger generations. Studies have shown generational differences in consuming news. It is important to take note of this as technology continues to develop and evolve.
But yes, there is lots to do in the news world right now. Time to roll up our sleeves and get started on saving news from the collapse it is on.
Or as Jeff Schafer from that Politico article says, “The journalism party might not be completely over. It’s human nature to interpret any bad news as the coming apocalypse. But let’s get drunk anyway and then sober up for what’s to come next.”
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