{"id":107,"date":"2005-10-08T11:40:23","date_gmt":"2005-10-08T19:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/?p=107"},"modified":"2016-06-14T11:43:22","modified_gmt":"2016-06-14T19:43:22","slug":"opportunities-for-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/2005\/10\/08\/opportunities-for-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Opportunities For Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Convener:<\/strong> Melinda Wittstock<\/p>\n

Reporter: <\/strong>Jim Shaffer<\/p>\n

Attendees<\/strong>: Ken Berents, Bill Drasean, Jonathan Lawson, Jean Min, Jim Shaffer, Duane Stoltzfus, Michael VanBuren,<\/p>\n

MW: Key question for session: Any positive opportunities in the upcoming changes?<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, what changes do we see coming?<\/u><\/p>\n

KB: \u00a0\u00a0 They are here already!<\/p>\n

Internet; Satellite radio will cause demand reduction for land radio within 5 years. Local radio signals will go silent.<\/p>\n

TV margins are declining.<\/p>\n

BD:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 WiFi. Electronic dissemination of \u201cprint\u201d<\/p>\n

MV:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Podcasting<\/p>\n

Duane: 1. Low expectations of young people, both for journalism and for their interest and\/or ability to connect with the broader world around them \u2026 fragmentation of interests\/audience.<\/p>\n

**\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2. At least signals being vacated imply an opportunity for others to move in.<\/p>\n

JS:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1. Decline of mass marketing at just the same time that the traditional add-supported media are becoming less effective as mass marketing vehicles \u2013 a double whammy.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Collapse of economic models that have traditionally supported journalism.<\/li>\n
  2. Fragmentation of audiences.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    JM:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The \u201cbell curve\u201d is flattening. The are fewer mass products in the middle; more products and audiences on the fringe. Everything is more specialized.<\/p>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 JL:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2026 reduced local news production .. provides an opportunity for new entrants and<\/p>\n

    new services from existing players.<\/p>\n

    KB: Example \u2013 Clear Channel created opportunity for Journal Communications in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

    Other observations about opportunities<\/u><\/p>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 MW: See a juxtaposition of fragmentation of audience with consolidation of media \u2026<\/p>\n

    creating opportunities for niche businesses.<\/p>\n

    (Discussion of convergence)<\/p>\n

    MW: Not all journalists can do it all.<\/p>\n

    JM: Seen it work in Seoul \u2026sometimes with surprising opportunities, such as when the I\/N enlarged their broadcast audience by pulling in distant time zones.<\/p>\n

    MW: Suggests the ultimate independence of content<\/em> from vehicle<\/em><\/p>\n

    (Discussion of the role of trust and lack of trustable sites in the cacophony of the I\/N )<\/p>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Several: So there\u2019s an opportunity to create trust in an undisciplined environment.<\/p>\n

    KB: Trust relates to brand<\/em>. Need to build trusted brands. <\/em><\/p>\n

    (Discussion of need for targeted advertising)<\/p>\n

    Duane: Two types of trust. 1. Trust in the organization\u2019s content and editing. 2. Credibility that the organization can add to other sites by linking to them, effectively certifying them as OK.<\/p>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 MW: Another opportunity is the immediacy of the I\/N. Instant information.<\/p>\n

    BD: Some sites current but less trusted. Others more trusted.<\/p>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (Discussion of multi-purposing news)<\/p>\n

    Examples: BBC, Nicholas Kristof,<\/p>\n

    KB: Times Select also expands revenues for the journalists.<\/p>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Discussion of the opportunity of the I\/N as a media that strengthens relationships<\/h2>\n

    JM: Younger audiences interested in connectivity \u2026 important for media sites to capitalize on this.<\/p>\n

    MW: Direct access to news sources. KB: Or their low levels staff \u2026<\/p>\n

    JS: And to and among other news consumers. Text messaging. Chat sites. Bulletin boards<\/p>\n

    Many: So an opportunity of the new media is to fulfill a need to build relationships both among news consumers and between consumers and sources. This leads to a blurred distinction between \u201cusers\u201d and \u201cgenerators\u201d of news.<\/p>\n

    JM: Involvement of the people with the stories leads to commitment and passion about the media.<\/p>\n

    (Ken B leaves; Michael V leaves)<\/p>\n

    MW: How to accommodate the exploring\/browsing need?<\/p>\n

    (Discussion of the pay per click or pay per package models)<\/p>\n

    JS: Had some experience with that. The technology works, but the investment bankers weren\u2019t convinced.<\/p>\n

    (Back to user participation with stories)<\/p>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 JM: In Korea, some sites get huge discussions going at the end of posted articles, and they<\/p>\n

    charge the users to stay on and converse. \u2026 \u201cReverse versioning\u201d \u2026 Some people seeking credibility of adjacency<\/p>\n

    \u2026 vanity publishing<\/p>\n

    Selected wrap-up<\/h2>\n

    **\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 BK: If we can be electronic, local news can be both more specialized and more current.<\/p>\n

    JS: We just have to let go of our cherished one to many models and our definition of journalism by vehicle, rather than content.<\/p>\n

    MW: There IS opportunity \u2026 need to separate content from delivery vehicle.<\/p>\n

    Summary \u2013 Opportunities identified:<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Signals being vacated imply an opportunity for others to move in.<\/li>\n
    2. Reduced local news production \u2026 provides an opportunity for new entrants.<\/li>\n
    3. A juxtaposition of fragmentation of audience with consolidation of media creates new opportunities for niche businesses.<\/li>\n
    4. There\u2019s an opportunity to create trust, and, hence, value, in an undisciplined environment.<\/li>\n
    5. Immediacy of the I\/N. Instant information.<\/li>\n
    6. Multi-purposing news expands both audience and revenues.<\/li>\n
    7. Development of the I\/N as a media that strengthens relationships<\/li>\n
    8. Paid vanity publishing<\/li>\n
    9. With I\/N, local news can be both more specialized and more current.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Convener: Melinda Wittstock Reporter: Jim Shaffer Attendees: Ken Berents, Bill Drasean, Jonathan Lawson, Jean Min, Jim Shaffer, Duane Stoltzfus, Michael VanBuren, MW: Key question for session: Any positive opportunities in the upcoming changes? First, what changes do we see coming? … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-session-notes"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108,"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107\/revisions\/108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalismthatmatters.org\/kalamazoo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}