Journalism is thriving. The business of news is not. How can we fund the information we need for a functioning democracy?

1. The Future of the Fourth Estate
Journalism is thriving.

2. The Future of the Fourth Estate
Journalism is thriving.
The business of news is not.

3. The Future of the Fourth Estate
How can we fund the information we
need for a functioning democracy?

4. Why do we need new models?
• The Internet broke the
connection between
ads and journalism

5. Why do we need new models?
• The Internet broke the
connection between
ads and journalism
• Civic engagement is
on the decline in our
highly mobile society

6. Why do we need new models?
• The Internet broke the
connection between
ads and journalism
• Civic engagement is
on the decline in our
highly mobile society
• Twin challenges: $$$
and reaching out to
“the former audience”

7. Have you seen the Globe today?
• New York Times Co.
sold it for a fraction of
what it paid in 1993

8. Have you seen the Globe today?
• New York Times Co.
sold it for a fraction of
what it paid in 1993
• Moving from 80% of
revenues coming from
ads to a 50-50 split

9. Have you seen the Globe today?
• New York Times Co.
sold it for a fraction of
what it paid in 1993
• Moving from 80% of
revenues coming from
ads to a 50-50 split
• Charging for online
content remains a
risky proposition

10. A golden age comes to an end
• From 1830s to 2005,
newspapers enjoyed
advertising dominance

11. A golden age comes to an end
• From 1830s to 2005,
newspapers enjoyed
advertising dominance
• A.J. Liebling on
monopoly papers:
“good, better, bestest”

12. A golden age comes to an end
• From 1830s to 2005,
newspapers enjoyed
advertising dominance
• A.J. Liebling on
monopoly papers:
“good, better, bestest”
• Philip Meyer: The Lords
of Savoy no longer
control the toll gate

13. The decline of civic engagement
• In “Bowling Alone,”
Putnam tied civic life to
newspaper reading

14. The decline of civic engagement
• In “Bowling Alone,”
Putnam tied civic life to
newspaper reading
• If the public doesn’t
care, then journalism
is endangered

15. The decline of civic engagement
• In “Bowling Alone,”
Putnam tied civic life to
newspaper reading
• If the public doesn’t
care, then journalism
is endangered
• News organizations
must create their own
involved publics

16. What is to be done?
• Clay Shirky warns that
no one thing will
replace newspapers

17. What is to be done?
• Clay Shirky warns that
no one thing will
replace newspapers
• What may make up for
some of the loss:
– Nonprofit media
– New forms of for-profit
– Volunteer media

18. What is to be done?
• Clay Shirky warns that
no one thing will
replace newspapers
• “The Wired City” takes
a look at:
– Nonprofit media
– New forms of for-profit
– Volunteer media

19. What is to be done?
• Clay Shirky warns that
no one thing will
replace newspapers
• “The Wired City” takes
a look at:
– Nonprofit media
– New forms of for-profit
– Volunteer media

20. What is to be done?
• Clay Shirky warns that
no one thing will
replace newspapers
• “The Wired City” takes
a look at:
– Nonprofit media
– New forms of for-profit
– Volunteer media

21. Trouble in New Haven
• New Haven Register’s
parent company
goes bankrupt

22. Trouble in New Haven
• New Haven Register’s
parent company
goes bankrupt
• An urban, mostly
minority community
with few news options

23. Trouble in New Haven
• New Haven Register’s
parent company
goes bankrupt
• An urban, mostly
minority community
with few news options
• What alternatives are
there when the
marketplace fails?

24. Technology for journalists

25. A new model that’s working
• New Haven Independent
is nonprofit, online-only,
supported by donors

26. A new model that’s working
• New Haven Independent
is nonprofit, online-only,
supported by donors
• Staff of four travels city
on bikes with cameras
and notebooks

27. A new model that’s working
• New Haven Independent
is nonprofit, online-only,
supported by donors
• Staff of four travels city
on bikes with cameras
and notebooks
• Focus on city life,
moderated comments
create new public square

28. Strengths of the Independent
• Founder and editor
Paul Bass isn’t reliant
on a shrinking ad base

29. Strengths of the Independent
• Founder and editor
Paul Bass isn’t reliant
on a shrinking ad base
• Online-only format
means costs are low

30. Strengths of the Independent
• Founder and editor
Paul Bass isn’t reliant
on a shrinking ad base
• Online-only format
means costs are low
• Hyperlocal content and
two-way conversation
build civic engagement

31. Weaknesses of the Independent
• Small readership
compared to the
New Haven Register

32. Weaknesses of the Independent
• Small readership
compared to the
New Haven Register
• Uncertain funding in
future years

33. Weaknesses of the Independent
• Small readership
compared to the
New Haven Register
• Uncertain funding in
future years
• Lack of print presence
may exclude residents
who are less engaged

34. The Register’s uncertain comeback
• Under John Paton,
parent company JRC
embraces “Digital First”

35. The Register’s uncertain comeback
• Under John Paton,
parent company JRC
embraces “Digital First”
• New Register editor
Matt DeRienzo reaches
out to community

36. The Register’s uncertain comeback
• Under John Paton,
parent company JRC
embraces “Digital First”
• New Register editor
Matt DeRienzo reaches
out to community
• Bankruptcy II could
pave the way for a
brighter digital future

37. Other nonprofit media
• Connecticut Mirror fills
gap left by decline of
the Hartford Courant

38. Other nonprofit media
• Connecticut Mirror fills
gap left by decline of
the Hartford Courant
• Voice of San Diego is a
reliable alternative to
the shaky metro daily

39. Other nonprofit media
• Connecticut Mirror fills
gap left by decline of
the Hartford Courant
• Voice of San Diego is a
reliable alternative to
the shaky metro daily
• NPR is the quality news
organization of choice
for tens of millions

40. Limits to the nonprofit model
• Foundations tend
to give money for
only a few years

41. Limits to the nonprofit model
• Foundations tend
to give money for
only a few years
• IRS put a halt to
approving nonprofit
status for news sites

42. Limits to the nonprofit model
• Foundations tend
to give money for
only a few years
• IRS put a halt to
approving nonprofit
status for news sites
• Nonprofit news
organizations can’t
endorse candidates

43. New forms of for-profit news
• Christine Stuart’s
CT News Junkie covers
Connecticut politics

44. New forms of for-profit news
• Christine Stuart’s
CT News Junkie covers
Connecticut politics
• Howard Owens
launched The Batavian
as a demo project

45. New forms of for-profit news
• Christine Stuart’s
CT News Junkie covers
Connecticut politics
• Howard Owens
launched The Batavian
as a demo project
• Debbie Galant started
Baristanet after losing
her N.Y. Times column

46. Limits to the for-profit model
• Digital dimes replace
print dollars, reducing
the scope of coverage

47. Limits to the for-profit model
• Digital dimes replace
print dollars, reducing
the scope of coverage
• Patch has given
hyperlocal community
news a bad reputation

48. Limits to the for-profit model
• Digital dimes replace
print dollars, reducing
the scope of coverage
• Patch has given
hyperlocal community
news a bad reputation
• Few have range of skills
needed to handle
journalism and business

49. What’s next?
• Tom Stites devised the
Banyan Project to foster
the rise of news co-ops

50. What’s next?
• Tom Stites devised the
Banyan Project to foster
the rise of news co-ops
• Members would give
money and/or labor, as
with a food co-op

51. What’s next?
• Tom Stites devised the
Banyan Project to foster
the rise of news co-ops
• Members would give
money and/or labor, as
with a food co-op
• Banyan is launching a
pilot in 2014 to be
called Haverhill Matters

52. The day that everything changed
• John Henry defines
a new generation
of media mogul

53. The day that everything changed
• John Henry defines
a new generation
of media mogul
• Jeff Bezos seeks to
revive one of our
great newspapers

54. The day that everything changed
• John Henry defines
a new generation
of media mogul
• Jeff Bezos seeks to
revive one of our
great newspapers
• Aaron Kushner heads to
California to pursue a
print-centric strategy

55. The day that everything changed
Pierre Omidyar aims for something
completely different with First Look Media

56. The return of the moguls
• Newspaper companies
couldn’t meet demands
of Wall Street

57. The return of the moguls
• Newspaper companies
couldn’t meet demands
of Wall Street
• Private wealth buys
time as news business
seeks new revenues

58. The return of the moguls
• Newspaper companies
couldn’t meet demands
of Wall Street
• Private wealth buys
time as news business
seeks new revenues
• Will the moguls spark a
revival? Or will they just
delay the inevitable?

59. About the book
• “The Wired City: Reimagining Journalism and
Civic Life in the Post-Newspaper Age” was
published in June 2013 by University of
Massachusetts Press
• Copyright © 2013 by Dan Kennedy
• For more information, please visit:
thewiredcity.org

60. Dan Kennedy
Northeastern University
Boston, MA 02115
Some images in this presentation may be protected by copyright.
If you would like credit, or if you would prefer that your image be
removed, please contact Dan Kennedy at da dot kennedy at neu
dot edu.