The Wired City

The Wired City

Reimagining Journalism and Civic Life in the Post-Newspaper Age

Why do we need new models?

• The Internet broke the connection between ads and journalism



• Civic engagement ison the decline in our highly mobile society



• Civic engagement ison the decline in our highly mobile society

• Twin challenges: $$$ and reaching out to “the former audience”

Have you seen the Globe today?

• New York Times Co. will sell it for a fraction of what it paid in 1993



• Moving from 80% of revenues coming from ads to a 50-50 split



• Moving from 80% of revenues coming from ads to a 50-50 split

• Too high a paywall risks cutting off Globe from huge online audience

A golden age comes to an end

• From 1830s to 2005, newspapers enjoyed advertising dominance



• A.J. Liebling on monopoly papers: “good, better, bestest”



• A.J. Liebling on monopoly papers: “good, better, bestest”

• Philip Meyer: The Lords of Savoy no longer control the toll gate

The decline of civic engagement

• In “Bowling Alone,” Putnam tied civic life to newspaper reading



• If the public doesn’t care, then journalismis endangered



• If the public doesn’t care, then journalismis endangered

• News organizations must create their own involved publics

What is to be done?

• Clay Shirky warns that no one thing will replace newspapers

What is to be done?


• What may make up for some of the loss:– Nonprofit media– New forms of for-profit– Volunteer media

What is to be done?


• “The Wired City” takes a look at:– Nonprofit media– New forms of for-profit– Volunteer media

Trouble in New Haven

• New Haven Register’s parent companygoes bankrupt



• An urban, mostly minority community with few news options



• An urban, mostly minority community with few news options

• What alternatives are there when the marketplace fails?

Technology for journalists

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



• Staff of four travels city on bikes with cameras and notebooks

• Focus on city life, moderated comments create new public square

Strengths of the Independent

• Founder and editorPaul Bass isn’t relianton a shrinking ad base



• Online-only format means costs are low



• Online-only format means costs are low

• Hyperlocal content and two-way conversation build civic engagement

Weaknesses of the Independent

• Small readership compared to theNew Haven Register



• Uncertain funding in future years



• Uncertain funding in future years

• Lack of print presence may exclude residents who are less engaged

The Register’s uncertain comeback

• Under John Paton, parent company JRC embraces “Digital First”



• New Register editor Matt DeRienzo reaches out to community



• New Register editor Matt DeRienzo reaches out to community

• Bankruptcy II: A new beginning, or the beginning of the end?

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



• 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

Limits to the nonprofit model

• Foundations tendto give money foronly a few years



• IRS put a halt to approving nonprofit status for news sites



• IRS put a halt to approving nonprofit status for news sites

• Nonprofit news organizations can’t endorse candidates

New forms of for-profit news

• Christine Stuart’sCT News Junkie covers Connecticut politics



• Howard Owens launched The Batavian as a demo project



• Howard Owens launched The Batavian as a demo project

• Debbie Galant started Baristanet after losing her N.Y. Times column

Limits to the for-profit model

• Digital dimes replace print dollars, reducing the scope of coverage



• Patch is struggling, but with AOL’s support manages to stay alive



• Patch is struggling, but with AOL’s support manages to stay alive

• Few have range of skills needed to handle journalism and business

What’s next?

• Tom Stites devised the Banyan Project to foster the rise of news co-ops

What’s next?


• Members would give money and/or labor, as with a food co-op

What’s next?


• Members would give money and/or labor, as with a food co-op

• Banyan is launching a pilot in 2013 to be called Haverhill Matters

About the book

• “The Wired City: Reimagining Journalism and Civic Life in the Post-Newspaper Age” will be published in May 2013 by University of Massachusetts Press

• Copyright © 2013 by Dan Kennedy• For more information, please visit:

thewiredcity.org

Dan KennedyMarch 2013

Northeastern UniversityBoston, 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.

The Wired City

Education

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