There’s no denying that the media industry has been affected by widespread social and cultural changes. Analysts from across the spectrum have suggested a number of reasons, but most seem to agree that the Internet is responsible for the supposed demise of traditional media.
To attempt to make sense of the future of media—and to figure out what avenues are available for those looking to enter the media industry—The Ontarion sat down with journalists involved with both print and online media.
Chris Cobb is a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen. As a journalism teacher, Cobb is in the position of experiencing the industry firsthand, while also inspiring a new generation of writers, reporters, and editors.
“Will there always be newspapers?” asked Cobb. “I believe there will. The problem is the business model. All print editions still financially support web-based platforms. Some newspapers make some money on non-print platforms, but not enough to kill the paper product. In most cases, if they do that, the company would collapse.”
Cobb believes that it’s difficult to accurately predict the long-term shifts in the media industry. However, he maintains a belief that multimedia—not just print, not just broadcast, and not just online—is necessary for moving forward.
“We are in the midst of an evolution, or revolution, if you want to be dramatic about it,” said Cobb. “What finally emerges from it remains an unknown.”
Owen Roberts describes himself as a long-time print journalist. As a travel writer for the Toronto Star, as well as the vice president of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists, he has years of experience as a member of the industry.
Roberts is also the director of research communications at the University of Guelph. In his role, Roberts puts together print publications that showcase the breadth and variety of research available at the university.
Roberts argues that print media and journalism are not dead—they’re simply going through changes.
“I definitely don’t think print is dead,” explained Roberts. “I think it has lots of functions—I’m wondering if it’s more a matter of ‘Is print news dead?’ or ‘Is print news changing?’ I think sure, but I don’t think print is dead.”
Roberts observes that print media’s chief concern is reader and market segmentation. Tackling the fall of print—and the rise of more accessible, reader-specific publications—is integral to better understanding the industry’s current trajectory.
“There are segments in the market that would prefer print and electronic might not work for them,” said Roberts.
The difference between print and online media—to Roberts—is much like the difference between department stores and speciality shops. Speciality stores remain in business because they provide exceptional service to a very specific market demographic, whereas department stores remain in business because they provide customers with a wide selection of goods and services.
“That seems to me where dailies—or a lot of print publications, when they’re trying to serve a broad audience—it kind of seems that’s where they’ve suffered,” explained Roberts.
Regardless of the service provided to customers, however, an issue of payment remains at the centre of industry changes.
“A traditional business model requires, and this is key, someone to pay the freight,” explained Roberts. “So who is going to pay for news?”
During the early days of online media, Roberts suggests that print publications flocked to provide readers with an easily accessible version of already printed physical resources. However, as current trends indicate, such a model is unsustainable.
“Who would have known that, right?” joked Roberts. “Somebody has to pay for journalism. Who’s that going to be? Is it going to be subscribers, advertisers, or people who are interested?”
Advertising in media is an equally complex problem as subscribers. Publications require sources of funding from two distinct groups of stakeholders: people who purchase products and those who create products to purchase. When a publication loses subscribers, there’s a strong chance that advertisers will soon follow. After all, if advertisers can’t sell their wares, there’s little point in targeting a nonexistent readership.
Roberts suggests that a possible future of online publication lies in effectively connecting readers with ads in an unobtrusive manner. The Toronto Star recently released Star Touch—a smartphone and tablet app that allows subscribers to read digital versions of the print copy of the Star.
“If I see a link on there to Adidas, and I’m reading a story about an athlete and he’s endorsed by Adidas, I can go or not go,” explained Roberts.
As for the foreseeable future, Roberts believes that the future of journalism lies in those who believe in the power of information to better inform a democracy.
“I think [print] is going to have its place,” said Roberts. “I think it’s going to be a mix of both [print and online media]. I don’t think it’s going to be all Internet…I think journalists have to be cognizant of this chance. I think they have to be prepared—perhaps for a future that involves a whole lot of professional communicators.”
Jeff Elgie, CEO of Village Media, is one such professional communicator—an individual involved in getting messages across to the general public. Elgie spoke with The Ontarion regarding the needs to address the shifting demands of the journalism industry.
Village Media, an online-only news company based out of Sault Ste. Marie, has been looking to expand its market to the Guelph community since October 2015. With the closing of the Guelph Mercury, the media company moved up the launch of Guelph Today.
In his interview with The Ontarion, Elgie addressed the strengths of launching a digital only news source.
“Dating all the way back to 2000, we were online only,” said Elgie. “It was pretty much unheard of for a community the size of Sault Ste. Marie to have an online-only news site. We’ve been asked ‘Why did this work for us where it doesn’t work for others?’ A big answer to that is that we were born digital—it is our expertise. We’ve gone through the pain and suffering along the way, and had to figure out how to make it work for nearly 16 years now.”
For Elgie, it is evident that the needs of consumers are being met by media outlets in an entirely new and digital-based way—and while there have been major cuts within the industry and news of print editions shutting down nationally, quality journalism and reliable news sources will always be needed regardless of platform.
“There are constant cuts in the print industry…they are so many immediate and rapid changes on their whole business model,” explained Elgie. “In our world, there’s a lot of skepticism about online journalism—there’s this belief that if it’s online and it’s free, then it’s not good.”
Elgie continued to discuss the importance of reliable journalism in a digital landscape, and how it is currently affecting the industry.
“The concept of converting people to digital, in general, is not our job—that has already been done by Google and Apple—there is a world that is rapidly changing before us,” concluded Elgie. “The shift to digital, in almost all cases, is complete. So, it’s just a question of proving that, yes, we can have good quality local news content written by professional journalists in a digital only site.”