Update: Michael Schudson has responded to this post.
Whatever else it is, The Reconstruction of American Journalism is not comprehensive.
Leonard Downie Jr., former executive editor of the Washington Post, and Michael Schudson, authors of the Columbia University report, described their work in the Post today as a “comprehensive report.” They recommend federal subsidies for news organizations and changes in federal law to allow more philanthropic support for journalism. More on those topics later.
Here’s what the report does not address in any meaningful way:
- The role of social media in the future of journalism.
- The failure of media companies to develop new business models.
- The possibility of developing new business models that rely on the free market, rather than charity or taxpayers. (more…)
The Buttry Diary 