Revenue strategies
Washington Missourian: Print or be printed
I did a “press check” with Washington Missourian Publisher Bill Miller Sr. and General Manager Bill Miller Jr. during a recent Friday afternoon press run and it brought back decades-old memories to this old newspaper guy. But the technology involved in the Missourian’s printing process — electronic transfer of information directly from computer screen to … Continued
Seattle’s Best: Mary Bruno
Don’t overlook the home of Microsoft, Amazon, Zillow and other innovative companies large and small when looking for voices in media thought leadership. Below are observations and insights from a handful of the city’s media leaders that I collected while accompanying a Missouri School of Journalism innovation and entrepreneurship class as they visited each venue.
The future begins with P: Privacy, personalization and payment
What will sustain journalism in service of democracy? Because of the rise of the Internet and the financial challenges faced by legacy media organizations, that question tugs at those who write and produce the news. Conferences, reports and columns run through the same checklist: Advertising going digital and mobile and increasingly controlled by technology platforms … Continued
News companies as tech companies: Some venture capitalists say yes
For years, the drumbeat among venture capitalists has been that content is expensive and is not worth their investment. But we’ve seen a turnaround, and the question is, why now? The answer may simply be optimism. As Hamish McKenzie and Sarah Lacy wrote in Pando Daily of the return to content: Large funding rounds don’t … Continued
Flipping the model: A contrarian’s strategy for growth in the mobile era
Roger Fidler, RJI Program Director for Digital Publishing, assesses the current journalism business model and proposes how to flip it to monetize high-value enterprise journalism.
‘Solutions’ and journalism grow closer together — what are implications for independence?
There is increasing momentum driving the idea that mainstream journalism — and the ethics training around it — should include the notion that it is not only OK but essential for reporters to report and even help convene community conversation around “solutions” to problems. But what does this do to the notion of independence? J-Lab … Continued
Is covering climate change going to be ultimate test of the value of journalism?
Journalist/activist (he says he is both) Bill McKibben made some important points last week as he accepted the Estlow Anvil of Freedom Award from the University of Denver in an event which RJI helped convene. He argues that that journalists have a responsibility to cover what’s significant, and that just because they have a point … Continued
2012: What we know now on building public trust, raising money and a free press
Was 2012 prosperous for publishers? The four-part series continues, with this third installment offering key lessons from three well-respected practitioners known for thinking outside the box. Mike Fancher, veteran news business strategist and 2008–2009 Reynolds Fellow; Lila LaHood, director of operations and development at San Francisco Public Press; and Keith Hammonds, director of Ashoka’s Knowledge … Continued
Another voice explains why newspapers must move beyond the news
We’ve written about the need for newspapers to stop thinking about they physical product and start acting like “information valets” for their users in an age where attention is at a premium — helping users to manage their “personas.” We’ve co-authored a piece about efforts at the New London, Conn. Day newspaper. Now another voice is now … Continued
Pivot Point: A first step for sharing next steps — listserv
Proponents of projects broached at RJI’s Pivot Point gathering in June now have an initial place to share ideas and action steps — a Google Groups listserv. RJI is studying the most helpful way to find, expose and advance projects such as those shared at Pivot Point.