First we have to understand the where journalism is and the new models for it. With social networking sites like Twitter, the new buzzwords is citizen journalism because it allows users to contribute content and ideas for journalists to follow. This type of journalism is also prevalent in the blogging community where normal people can post about a certain topic that interests them, like their own personal stories, sports or technology. Examples of blogs like the Huffington Post often provide opinion about certain topics. Blogging has been a significant contributor to the decline in newspaper readership because readers can read about topics they are interested in and do not have to sift through pages of unwanted material to get there. Another business model is non-profit places like Voice of San Diego and MinnPost. These types of business models employ professional journalists who not only report but also blog and it also takes away from the problems of advertising because of the support and backing from donors. Another model is crowd sourcing, or when journalists receive tips and information from people around then nation. An example is “Help a Reporter Out” where journalists can ask a large number of people questions about sources and information. All of these can be used separately or together to reach a new audience in this multimedia time.

Some other examples of present business models dealing with journalism is the new idea of micropayments that Google announced where content is packaged; however I think implementing the idea of a pay wall will not work out in the long run. Micropayments do provide convenience because it is packages for the subscriber, but there is no guarantee people will buy it. In a recent study, 75% said they would find other methods of news if they were required to pay. This continues to stress the nightmare journalism is facing. Another business model is the idea of creating memberships or clubs for loyal readers to be a part of to receive exclusive content free-users do not get. These clubs offer services to readers and are very different than a pay wall. This is a way to generate revenue by rewarding subscribers who pay for memberships.

We now must decide what would be the most practical approach with the best results toward the future of news. I think Twitter and citizen journalism are here to stay because it creates a two-way road for readers. Before, stories were given to them without any input from the audience whereas now, readers can feel a connection to the news industry. This is a great opportunity to expand knowledge and to hear about many different sources and story ideas across the world but we also have to be cautious about trusting everything. Blogging is also a big area that I believe will continue to have success because it allows users to be involved while also specializing to meet people’s interests. And although many journalists look down on bloggers, I do believe they will continue to have success because readers are loyal and writers can report just as well on the blogosphere as a newspaper. As far as business models go, I don’t know how newspapers can charge for online reading and still compete because of the numerous forms of media. In an ideal world, they would all decide together to charge so readers had no choice, but there are always bloggers. The idea of memberships is something that I believe can work because there is some sort of incentive for the subscriber.

So what will work and save the profession? What is the most important thing? I still believe newspapers will one day be gone but if they want to prolong the inevitable, they have to start specializing and focusing on aspects they do really well. By gaining a reputation, online visitors will return and hopefully bloggers will also link to the site more. Since funding will and should not come from the government, online news will have to be funded by many different donors. They will continue to need money from advertisers as well as some sort of membership or awards program that readers pay a monthly fee for and are rewarded. This will work because readers have a reason to buy and whether or not they can find the same information somewhere else will not matter because they have a reason to visit your site.