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NEWS MEDIAChanges and challenges

George BrockProfessor and Head of Journalism

City University LondonVietnam, March 2011

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Ideas which have shaped journalism in Britain

• Coffee houses

• Separation from the state

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Ideas which have shaped journalism in Britain

• Long continuities– The Spectator, founded 1711

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Journalism develops

• Plural competition• Political controversy• Regional newspapers built local

identities• Papers preceded political parties• Technology• “Mixed economy” of private

ownership and regulation

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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British newspapers in the 20th century

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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The UK media market gets crowded

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

Radio 1922

Television 1946

Cable TV 1960s

Satellite TV 1989

Internet 1995

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Pressures of proliferation• Fragmentation more significant than

conglomeration• 1960: 8 national daily papers, 3 radio stations,

1 TV channel• 2010: 9 national dailies, hundreds of radio

stations and TV channels, millions of websites• Audiences for main TV evening news bulletins

have fallen by 50% over 20 years

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Newspapers decline: Germany

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Circulations of newspapers in Germany (in millions)

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Just holding their own: Australia

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Downward: US

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Circulations of newspapers in the US (in millions)

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Old certainties disappear

• News moves between platforms• Shared and swopped between users• Are bloggers journalists?• Broad news packages suffer, niche

players flourish• Business is tougher

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Not all news media, not worldwide

• The business model which is suffering is daily printed newspapers in Europe and US.

• Even daily newspapers are doing fine in India, China and Brazil.

• Magazines are flourishing• Terrestrial television news struggles• Satellite and cable does better• Radio holds its own (thanks to the internet)

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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• Persistent erosion in circulation (7,5% in 2010)• Newspaper division only accounts for 14% of

the revenue• Since 2004, for each dollar added to online

revenue, the paper lost $5 on print• Kaplan Education division accounts for 62%• Without its education unit, the company

might have not survived recent years

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Washington Post revenues

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The Times of London

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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The Times – print circulation

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 20150

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

Circulation in January each year

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The newer version

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Balancing print and online

• Paper vs digital is over• A new grammar for news journalism• Paywall• But... The advantages of open

competition

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Dilemmas of the future• Words• If anyone can be a journalist, what defines a

journalist?• Rebuilding the idea of journalism: 4 key

functions– Verification, making sense, eye-witness,

investigation• Ethics and training matters!

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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How much does the UK, Europe and US experience matter?

• Print`s monopoly is gone• So plan for the future

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21City University London

www.city.ac.uk/journalism

22City University London

www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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Our experience• Societies decide what journalism they want• Journalism has flourished and grown in open

societies• Where power is accountable and the people in

charge can be changed (at elections)• Journalists are rarely popular• Power of innovation: new ways of sustaining

journalism will be found

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism

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•www.georgebrock.net•@georgeprof•www.city.ac.uk/journalism

City University London www.city.ac.uk/journalism