Wednesday 21 January 2009

'Economic foundations of modern journalism crumbling in the digital age'

Digital technology is threatening the quality and commercial prospects of British journalism, according to a report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) which will be released at the Oxford Media Convention tomorrow.
Journalism.co.uk reports that Dr. Andrew Curragh, author of 'What's Happening to Our News?' has said in a release: "The economic foundations of modern journalism are crumbling due to unprecedented changes in the scale and character of news consumption."
The report examines the future of commercial newsgathering, the value of 'professionalism' in the age of blogging and what can be done to meet the challenges facing the industry.
Dr. Curragh warns:"Publishers are in danger of being reduced to the digital equivalent of a windsock, shaped by the short-term whims of the news consumer."
The report outlines several proposals, including targeted tax breaks for public interest news publishing, changing legislation to allow for charitable funding of newsgathering and a voluntary set of media standards to improve public trust and transparency within the industry.

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