There is an entire lingo, and there are new euphemisms being used to “politely” discuss the state of journalism right now. Having been on four planes and to eight different cities in the last three weeks, I have heard them all after telling strangers I meet on planes, in cabs, at conferences, at delis (I guess it’s a very good thing that people strike up conversations with me, being a journalist and all.) what I do or plan to do for a living. They all said the same thing. Oh yeah, well the newspaper industry is shifting, you know. Journalism is evolving. Not a single person said what exactly it was shifting to or evolving into, but I guess it’s because no one is exactly sure.
Here’s an interesting post about “the dire state of newspapers” from Mashable: “As for young minds fresh out of journalism school — journalism is not dead, it is just evolving.”
Well, let’s look at the stats to see from what newspapers are shifting. According to estimates released Wednesday from the Newspaper Association of America, newspapers made a whole $10 billion less in 2009 than they did in 2008. Ow.
“Then the floor completely caved in. In 2006, newspapers made $49.275 billion in total revenue. In 2007, it was $45.375 billion. In 2008, it dropped to $37.848 billion. In 2009, it plummeted all the way to $27.564 billion. In four years, newspaper ad revenue dropped by 44.24%. That’s nearly half of the industry’s revenue.” – Ben Parr, Mashable
Now, that makes your heart hurt. So, almost from the time I graduated with a bachelor’s in journalism to now, newspapers have lost nearly half their revenue. I can’t help but be optimistic, though. (I mean, think of the alternative.) This just means that I can develop more opportunities with the skills I am learning through the Knight Fellowship to help news organizations figure out what it is they’re evolving into, and I gotta say, it feels incredible to know I get to be part of that movement, that, um, shift.
