2008 was a tumultuous year for those in the traditional journalism business: layoffs, bankruptcies, and reorganizations dominated the news - and this was all before the entire country was hit with the worst economic recession in decades.
What were the big take-aways from 2008, and how will the business and practice of journalism change in 2009. Here are a few of my thoughts, and a round-up of what other media bloggers are saying.
Frank's 5 for 2009:
1. Audiences will continue to shift toward consuming their news "on demand": online and, in 2009 more then ever before, via MOBILE devices. This will come at the expense of newspaper circulation; and, for the first time ever in 2009, more people will get their news daily from online than from local TV news.
2. Newspapers will continue to see declines in readership and revenue.
3. In 2009, with the election-year revenue bump behind them, local TV stations will experience the same kinds of deep layoffs newspapers have been enduring for the past several years.
4. Niche blogs and hyperlocal journalism will rise up, both as a competitor to and as a result of reductions at mainstream media outlets
5. Another year will pass, and we still will not have a sustainable business model answer to the question: How do we monetize the web?
Here's what some other media bloggers are saying:
On Poytner.org, Rick Edmonds offers journalists Four Reasons to be Hopeful about newspapers in 2009.
In newsless.org, Matt Thompson offers 5 Questions Worth Asking about journalism's future.
On his News After Newspapers blog, Martin Langeveld came out with his Predictions for 2009, then did a nice follow-up entry summarizing the other 2009 predictions by media bloggers.
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