Kirk LaPointe
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Kirk LaPointe commented on Re: Are bloggers journalists? on May 13, 2008, 7:59 PM
More and more our craft is going to discover the value of the so-called pro-am mix of journalism, involving not only the newsrooms but a community's expert commentators. I suspect we're going to find many of those in the blogosphere, and while I share some of the views on this thread that some of the bloggers are writing post-Google searching in their pajamas in the basement, I notice more and more of them at events gathering the same information as our journalists (only distributing their content far faster, usually from the scene). While it's true that a lot of journalism involves standards and practices not evident to everyone with a blog tool, a surprising number of bloggers are getting better and more credible in a hurry. They're making a contribution to the public sphere and I think conventional journalists have to be careful not to dismiss what they create.
Kirk LaPointe commented on What is the future of journalism? on May 13, 2008, 4:17 PM
I hate to take any thread away from creativity and move it into economics, but the future of journalism depends on finding a new business model to ensure the public service nature of journalism is preserved. The beauty of conventional media is its ability to cross-subsidize --- you do certain things that draw audiences, and you do certain things because they're important to do, and they aren't always the same things. But one pays for the other, in essence. Many of the new economics emerging in journalism are based on models that seem aligned with what people want, and not necessarily what they might need, to know. Now, no one wants the preaching-from-the-mountain model of journalism, but there are valuable functions of journalism that involve revealing important truths --- things on the menu that no one might choose unless served. What's important in the time ahead is to find ways to pay for the work that isn't necessarily going to move the needle on audience or circulation, but will have a softer value involving reputation or credibility. In other words, the journalism creating a sustainable model. As the advertising-based models of journalism evolve digitally into much more targeted content aimed at specific audiences, the future of journalism will depend on finding ways to generate high quality that isn't necessarily highly demanded. It might be through narrower subscriber-based models, it might mean underwritten models with independent financing, or it might mean allocating a certain portion of revenue to generate content withou a pre-determined market. But if we don't find these new models, the public service work of journalism will be harder to sustain. www.themediamanager.com
Kirk LaPointe commented on Re: Are bloggers journalists? on May 13, 2008, 3:59 PM
More and more our craft is going to discover the value of the so-called pro-am mix of journalism, involving not only the newsrooms but a community's expert commentators. I suspect we're going to find many of those in the blogosphere, and while I share some of the views on this thread that some of the bloggers are writing post-Google searching in their pajamas in the basement, I notice more and more of them at events gathering the same information as our journalists (only distributing their content far faster, usually from the scene). While it's true that a lot of journalism involves standards and practices not evident to everyone with a blog tool, a surprising number of bloggers are getting better and more credible in a hurry. They're making a contribution to the public sphere and I think conventional journalists have to be careful not to dismiss what they create.
I am Managing Editor of the Vancouver Sun, western Canada's largest newspaper, and oversee its online operations while helping to direct the day-to-day editorial report. I teach as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia graduate school of journalism.
I have run Canada's largest network television news operation, helped start a national newspaper, been the associate publisher and editor in chief of a metropolitan newspaper, the editor in chief of a Canadian news service, the host of a national television show, the Ottawa bureau chief of a news agency and a writer and editor in various print and online media.
Kirk LaPointe commented on What is the future of journalism? on May 13, 2008, 8:17 PM
I hate to take any thread away from creativity and move it into economics, but the future of journalism depends on finding a new business model to ensure the public service nature of journalism is preserved.The beauty of conventional media is its ability to cross-subsidize --- you do certain things that draw audiences, and you do certain things because they're important to do, and they aren't always the same things. But one pays for the other, in essence.Many of the new economics emerging in journalism are based on models that seem aligned with what people want, and not necessarily what they might need, to know.Now, no one wants the preaching-from-the-mountain model of journalism, but there are valuable functions of journalism that involve revealing important truths --- things on the menu that no one might choose unless served. What's important in the time ahead is to find ways to pay for the work that isn't necessarily going to move the needle on audience or circulation, but will have a softer value involving reputation or credibility. In other words, the journalism creating a sustainable model.As the advertising-based models of journalism evolve digitally into much more targeted content aimed at specific audiences, the future of journalism will depend on finding ways to generate high quality that isn't necessarily highly demanded. It might be through narrower subscriber-based models, it might mean underwritten models with independent financing, or it might mean allocating a certain portion of revenue to generate content withou a pre-determined market. But if we don't find these new models, the public service work of journalism will be harder to sustain.www.themediamanager.com