.
The emergence of the digital era has put the survival of journalism at risk. According to The Platform Press: How Silicon Valley Reengineered Journalism by Emily Bell and Taylor Owen at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, the increased use of news sharing on social platforms has threatened all aspects of the journalism industry. Although social media has helped news organizations reach larger audiences, the sweeping scope is often reached at the cost of journalism’s civic value, quality, and accuracy. Because news is increasingly shared on social platforms, new organizations fall victim to algorithms that determine the outreach of posted content. The newsrooms that compete for exposure on social media face an undeniable predicament: whether to command published content or to surrender control to social media outlets that prioritize shareability over quality.
While news outlets have struggled to maintain realm of accurate content, the evolution of online publishing has established an equal playing field. Online news organizations such as the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed have converged with premier news outlets such as The Washington Post and the New York Times. In technology platforms operated by Google and Facebook, organizations of every class compete for the same domain of influence. The leading traditional print news organizations have become the most immersed in social the media market. In a study of the relationship between 14 diverse news organizations and 23 tech platforms, old time news networks such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and CNN have trumped emerging news outlets in utilizing sharing platforms. In the study, the Wall Street Journal ranked the highest in published content, with posted content on all 23 platforms. The research also indicated that the Washington Post ranked second in engagement, posting on 22 tech platforms.
Although news organizations have accumulated exposure through a variety of publishing opportunities, select tech companies have dominated news traffic. Facebook and Google controlled the majority of referral traffic to publishing sites in 2016, with 45% of referral traffic from Facebook and 30% of referral traffic from Google, according to a study from Parse.ly. Along with influence through referrals, sharing technology has allowed for more immediate access to content. In the past couple of years, native publishing applications have changed the way audiences obtain news by offering instant retrieval of articles. Mobile and online sharing mediums have introduced products such as Facebook Instant Articles, Twitter Moments, and Snapchat Discover that produces an alternative to networked posts that link to a news outlet’s homepage. The total number of native and networked posts are nearly the same, and more new outlets are taking advantage of native posts, according to a study of native posts in February 2017 by the Tow Center. While outlets such as the Huffington Post sustain through native posts, with two-thirds of posts in native formats, other multiplatform organizations such as CNN have also become immersed in sharing applications, with 59% of their posts in native format.
Despite new technologies overwhelming news outlets’ exposure online, often only a few prominent news organizations reap the benefits of new social media platforms. Because publishers at social media companies such as Facebook and Snapchat decide which news outlets post content, many small news organizations do not receive equal outreach on sharing platforms. The report indicated that even when smaller news outlets are given opportunities to utilize native posts, the production of content such as live video is costly.
The lack of resources within news organizations is not the only threat to their survival. The business model of journalism, which is based on subscriptions and advertising, is deterred by sharing platforms which distribute content for free. Because advertising has shifted to a digital audience, profits from ads are appropriated to tech companies such as Facebook and Google rather than to publishers. More than half of the annual digital advertising revenue in 2014 and 2015 were given to tech companies such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, Verizon and Yahoo, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. From 2015 to 2016, the digital ad revenue spiked 20% while print advertising dropped 8%. But, even though digital ads bring in revenue, profit return at a sluggish rate and ad blockers often slash revenue further.
How have news organizations adapted to profit shortfalls? Premier news organizations such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times were forced to cut staff and restructure. At the same time, lower quality news sources collect revenue from misleading or fake news sources.
The report emphasized that the impact of business in journalism could deter news organizations from using such technology: “The opacity of the markets within all of the platforms, the unreliable metrics and the possibility that the rules for compensation might change at any moment without warning, are all reasons for publishers to be investing aggressively in finding revenues that stand apart from the technology players.”
Along with shaking business in the journalism industry, the new wave of digital news has transformed politics. The report highlighted how the 2016 U.S. Presidential election exemplified sharing platforms’ astounding impact, centering in on Facebook. On Facebook, misinformation and fake news flourished through shared posts and the company’s “trending now” feature. Despite Facebook’s label as a social-sharing platform, it has become the breeding ground for news. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 47% of Americans receive news from Facebook and 67% of American adults are active on Facebook. The election demonstrated how social media can spoil the elements of truth and accuracy engrained in news. Although Facebook responded with a strategy to combat fake news, the framework of its social sharing features obstructs solutions.
With the journalism industry damaged at the hands of third-party platforms, news organizations have begun adapting to the viral news environment. The report indicated that the industry must restructure: “With media regulation in freefall, the leadership of both journalism institutions and technology companies are left to arbitrate the rules of engagement within themselves.”
As technology and journalism are transforming simultaneously, cooperation between the two industries is essential. The report found that journalism is suffering from a system of power controlled by technology companies, and in order for news organizations to collect profits, the funding model on social media must evolve so news outlets can maintain independence. Although news outlets waive control over exposure, regulation can occur through altered algorithms and changes in public policy.
The news exposure on online platforms has shown no signs of stopping. While digitalism floods every industry, the impact of technology on journalism is monumental. As online platforms threaten the quality and accuracy of news, the need for restructure in the journalism industry is essential.
Photo Source: The logo/intertitle of the HBO television series Silicon Valley
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
a global affairs media network
Digitalism Jeopardizes the Future of Journalism Industry
August 17, 2017
The emergence of the digital era has put the survival of journalism at risk. According to The Platform Press: How Silicon Valley Reengineered Journalism by Emily Bell and Taylor Owen at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, the increased use of news sharing on social platforms has threatened all aspects of the journalism industry. Although social media has helped news organizations reach larger audiences, the sweeping scope is often reached at the cost of journalism’s civic value, quality, and accuracy. Because news is increasingly shared on social platforms, new organizations fall victim to algorithms that determine the outreach of posted content. The newsrooms that compete for exposure on social media face an undeniable predicament: whether to command published content or to surrender control to social media outlets that prioritize shareability over quality.
While news outlets have struggled to maintain realm of accurate content, the evolution of online publishing has established an equal playing field. Online news organizations such as the Huffington Post and Buzzfeed have converged with premier news outlets such as The Washington Post and the New York Times. In technology platforms operated by Google and Facebook, organizations of every class compete for the same domain of influence. The leading traditional print news organizations have become the most immersed in social the media market. In a study of the relationship between 14 diverse news organizations and 23 tech platforms, old time news networks such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and CNN have trumped emerging news outlets in utilizing sharing platforms. In the study, the Wall Street Journal ranked the highest in published content, with posted content on all 23 platforms. The research also indicated that the Washington Post ranked second in engagement, posting on 22 tech platforms.
Although news organizations have accumulated exposure through a variety of publishing opportunities, select tech companies have dominated news traffic. Facebook and Google controlled the majority of referral traffic to publishing sites in 2016, with 45% of referral traffic from Facebook and 30% of referral traffic from Google, according to a study from Parse.ly. Along with influence through referrals, sharing technology has allowed for more immediate access to content. In the past couple of years, native publishing applications have changed the way audiences obtain news by offering instant retrieval of articles. Mobile and online sharing mediums have introduced products such as Facebook Instant Articles, Twitter Moments, and Snapchat Discover that produces an alternative to networked posts that link to a news outlet’s homepage. The total number of native and networked posts are nearly the same, and more new outlets are taking advantage of native posts, according to a study of native posts in February 2017 by the Tow Center. While outlets such as the Huffington Post sustain through native posts, with two-thirds of posts in native formats, other multiplatform organizations such as CNN have also become immersed in sharing applications, with 59% of their posts in native format.
Despite new technologies overwhelming news outlets’ exposure online, often only a few prominent news organizations reap the benefits of new social media platforms. Because publishers at social media companies such as Facebook and Snapchat decide which news outlets post content, many small news organizations do not receive equal outreach on sharing platforms. The report indicated that even when smaller news outlets are given opportunities to utilize native posts, the production of content such as live video is costly.
The lack of resources within news organizations is not the only threat to their survival. The business model of journalism, which is based on subscriptions and advertising, is deterred by sharing platforms which distribute content for free. Because advertising has shifted to a digital audience, profits from ads are appropriated to tech companies such as Facebook and Google rather than to publishers. More than half of the annual digital advertising revenue in 2014 and 2015 were given to tech companies such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, Verizon and Yahoo, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. From 2015 to 2016, the digital ad revenue spiked 20% while print advertising dropped 8%. But, even though digital ads bring in revenue, profit return at a sluggish rate and ad blockers often slash revenue further.
How have news organizations adapted to profit shortfalls? Premier news organizations such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times were forced to cut staff and restructure. At the same time, lower quality news sources collect revenue from misleading or fake news sources.
The report emphasized that the impact of business in journalism could deter news organizations from using such technology: “The opacity of the markets within all of the platforms, the unreliable metrics and the possibility that the rules for compensation might change at any moment without warning, are all reasons for publishers to be investing aggressively in finding revenues that stand apart from the technology players.”
Along with shaking business in the journalism industry, the new wave of digital news has transformed politics. The report highlighted how the 2016 U.S. Presidential election exemplified sharing platforms’ astounding impact, centering in on Facebook. On Facebook, misinformation and fake news flourished through shared posts and the company’s “trending now” feature. Despite Facebook’s label as a social-sharing platform, it has become the breeding ground for news. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, 47% of Americans receive news from Facebook and 67% of American adults are active on Facebook. The election demonstrated how social media can spoil the elements of truth and accuracy engrained in news. Although Facebook responded with a strategy to combat fake news, the framework of its social sharing features obstructs solutions.
With the journalism industry damaged at the hands of third-party platforms, news organizations have begun adapting to the viral news environment. The report indicated that the industry must restructure: “With media regulation in freefall, the leadership of both journalism institutions and technology companies are left to arbitrate the rules of engagement within themselves.”
As technology and journalism are transforming simultaneously, cooperation between the two industries is essential. The report found that journalism is suffering from a system of power controlled by technology companies, and in order for news organizations to collect profits, the funding model on social media must evolve so news outlets can maintain independence. Although news outlets waive control over exposure, regulation can occur through altered algorithms and changes in public policy.
The news exposure on online platforms has shown no signs of stopping. While digitalism floods every industry, the impact of technology on journalism is monumental. As online platforms threaten the quality and accuracy of news, the need for restructure in the journalism industry is essential.
Photo Source: The logo/intertitle of the HBO television series Silicon Valley
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
