The future of journalism

I am in Sydney at the moment (got in yesterday) to take part in a forum on the future of journalism.

My session is tomorrow and it is on ‘Independent voices: press freedom in the digital era’.

At the moment a group of Aussie panellists are talking about ‘Who will pay for journalism?’ - a discussion on funding for journalism in the future and the ‘death’ of newspapers. The panellists actually don’t think newspapers will go away, but look at a possibility of many newspapers merging.

Earlier New York University’s Jay Rosen spoke about how the online explosion is going to explode to replace the traditional era of journalism. He calls all non-journalists (the mass) as former audiences who will take part actively in journalism. He sees this already happening and wants more free media to join in to create a better era of journalism.

"Send out more boats as not all will last but we need them to reach the other side to make the change," he said.

Will newspapers survive?

Views of Roy Greenslade, Guardian columnist, professor of journalism at City University and was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1990-91.

"Popular newspapers are dying and will die. The serious newspapers too. Dailies with niche market will survive, not mass papers.

Cities with two or three prints will see only one surviving. A paper of record in society will survive.

Net is the most democratic form. It allows everyone to publish. It’s about the freedom of expression.

Now there is more commentaries but I would like to see a pro-active action with more people being involved in news gathering.

I am not doom-mongering...advertisement is fleeing from newspapers. The next major platform is the net. I am sad to new the newspapers go - "the ultimate browser" - but they are dying.

The nuclear option - Last Saturday, a Wisconsin broadsheet The Capital Times has closed its print edition to go into the web edition. It has been published since 1970. It will now publish a free weekly. This option will occur elsewhere too. In the UK, the regionals might go first before the Fleet Street."

Interesting sessions and I will see if I can blog more on these. The venue is at ABC building in this beautiful city.

Click here for more details on the forum (which is a series of conversation).