Ink Meets Digital: Predicting the Evolutionary Path of Journalism’s Future

From various articles read, some facts concerning journalism can be derived. There are the key motives that determine the success of a media company, and if not well handled they could lead to immense losses. Bearing in mind that many media firms have now been commercialized (Craft and Davis 91). The company should evolve with the changes and technological inventions to remain relevant and competitive in the market. This paper seeks to cover the various changes that have occurred in journalism, their significances and what is expected in the future.

It is evident that the level of profit made in journalism depends on whether a media company will deliver marketable content. Historically, profits were made through covering advertisements and sales (PAJ,6). Recent trends show that media companies aiming to increase profits aggressively engage their audience and deliver customized content for them. According to a New York Times article, journalists prefer listening to readers more than advertisers (Spayd). The latter indicates that the interest of the journalists has shifted to the audience; because of this, an editor may manipulate a story or an article or even concentrate on a specific target to please the readers or the audience (PAJ,488). Although journalism is governed by the principle of service to the public and profit making, it is necessary to strike a balance for the sake of sustaining the business and winning more customers. Nowadays, the industry is fueled by business-oriented ideologies more than service delivery.

In the 1940s, there were few dynamics that affected the profitability of journalism. Currently, there are more changes which not only call for effective marketing techniques but also demands more transparency. Unlike when the editor would determine what to tell the people, they are always able to get firsthand information which is not edited. Even reporters can share their unedited news online. Presently, politics also play a part in the manipulation of media houses. Those in authority may dictate or influence what to be published. A very good example of this is the attacks and persistent threats on the media by President Donald Trump through his official social media accounts mostly twitter and in his press conferences. According to the Press Freedom Mission’s report which was published on the third day of May 2018, such attacks and threats force journalists to work in a hostile environment. Thus, the freedom of the media may be interfered with.

Today the government has minimal control since people can share short videos on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. There are also other quick means of sharing information online. The current generation is ready to connect directly to their leaders and present their opinions. There has been an increase in the number of blogs and other online platforms of sharing information. This has been fueled with the enactment and assent of the Speech Act which accorded bloggers and online platforms immunity against suits arising from the violation of Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act (Ruanne 1). As a result of this increase, many media companies face serious competition. To ensure that they survive they give more attractive news which pleases followers online (PAJ, 6). Media companies are mainly private companies which are created by individuals to make profit alongside other minor benefits like informing the public and promoting transparency and independence (PAJ, 6). Due to that, journalists and reporters may only cover the sides of the story the audience wants to hear and also include the location where the articles are in high demand. This will make it easy for them to sustain their business.

In journalism, government intervention is another factor that changes the way operations are carried. The policies that will be implemented will determine how affordable the media news will be. Additionally, government policies also affect the ability of individuals accessing a given platform. The profit generated by media houses may also be regulated by making given policies. Various changes are also expected to happen. Journalists may face confrontation from the public depending on the side they take concerning politics of particular regions (PAJ,108). This will be resulted by the loss of trust from the public since journalism lacks neutrality and independence. Editors may also reduce in the future given that many companies are closing down and turning to online sources. It is anticipated that a reduction in the revenue acquired from advertisements may also occur. Furthermore, it is evident that readership has reduced in recent years (PAJ, 488). It is estimated that the newspaper industry has shrunk by 60%. This might continue in the future with many people adopting online advertisement and information sharing.

More changes are expected in journalism business models as the need for sustainability goes high. Much government intervention is expected to regulate transparency and reliability of information shared (PAJ, 498). More innovative advertisement means are to be introduced to create more revenue. Increasing number of tweets, Facebook users also gives the direction of journalism in the future. With the rise in digital media, major questions will not only be the reliability of information but will also come with the need to curb cyber crimes that will act as a threat to journalism. To conclude, more changes concerning relating to technology and business models should be expected.

Work Cited

Craft, Stephanie and Charles N Davis. Principles of American Journalism: An Introduction. 2nd. Routledge, 2016.

Franklin, Bob. “The Future of Journalism: In an age of digital media and economic uncertainty.” (2014): 481-499.

International Press Freedom Mission to the United States. ”Press Freedom under Threat” (May 2018): 7-9

Ruanne, Kathleen Ann. ”How Broad A Shield? A Brief Overview of Section 230 of the Communities Decency Act.” Legal Report. 2018. Document. .

Russ-Mohl, Stephan. ”The economics of journalism and the challenge to improve journalism quality. A research manifesto.” Studies in Communication Sciences 6.2 (2006).

Spayd, Liz. The Future of the Times: A View From the Top. 7 Jan 2017. Article. 11 October 2018. .

Thompson, Mark. ”The challenging new economics of journalism.” Reuters Institute Digital News Report (2016): 108-109.