Two Items on the Reading To-Do List
I am about one-third through Robert G. Picard’s 161-page research paper entitled: Journalism, Value Creation and the Future of News Organizations, so far he has been framing the issues, and I am waiting for the punchline. I am getting lots of new insights along the way, here is one, that will break your heart if you are worried about What Will Happen When Just the Journalism Is Left? :
We must not fool ourselves about the importance of news in the lives of citizens/audiences. The reality is that the average person is not now-and never has been-deeply interested in news.
And here is why I am reading on:
The impetus for the study involves questions of why large numbers of consumers are willing to pay for entertainment but not news, and why many do not use news even when it is provided free or at a low price.
Once I read the next two-thirds of the paper, which I aim to do soon, I will report back here.
I also want to read more about Greg Smith’s architecture masters Movable Parts, with its Los Angeles Times focus. He describes the project as “an architectural and social reconstruction of the daily newspaper as a key civic space within American life.” You can read more at Newassignment.net.
