Revenue strategies
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.
Pivot Point: Next steps
Last month, the Reynolds Journalism Institute convened 34 engineers, publishers, editors, researchers and academics in Chicago for a gathering entitled: “Pivot Point: Reinventing Community, Reinventing News in a Connected World.” In this post, we’ll report on why we gathered, what we did, and what should happen next. We’d like your suggestions. Please email densmorew@rjionline.org, or … Continued
AUDIO: Are privacy, identity and trust building blocks for new news ecology? A discussion
BOSTON — Are privacy, identity and trust necessary building blocks for the new news ecosystem? Panel Q&A Topic: Privacy, identity, trust, commerce: Foundation blocks for 21st-century news? In this 85-minute session, experts discuss the idea during a New England Newspaper & Press Association panel recorded Feb. 11, 2012 at a Boston hotel. Speakers are Bill … Continued
Spot.us and Public Insight Network — nuancing support for civic journalism; exploring “persona”
The combination of crowd-source journalism payment pioneer Spot.us with the non-profit Public Insight Network (PIN) — which is testing the waters of what could become a news-focused sharing service — is intriguing for the possibilities. Look to St. Paul, Minn.-based American Public Media — which owns PIN — to start innovating and testing. There are … Continued