The Modern Journalist

“Since 1990, a quarter of all American newspaper jobs have disappeared.”

That’s the quote that jumped out at me while I was reading (the first page) of The New Yorker article by Eric Alteramn.

It’s a scathing review of the industry, which is exactly the kind of review the industry needs. This week alone I’ve had a half-dozen new media types instant message me with thanks for the blog (hey everyone) because they felt completely beaten down by their bosses.

I’m constantly amazed by traditional bosses who are stunningly — and obtusely — clueless about the business of online media, not that such a dearth of knowledge stops them from pontificating about the state of the media. Fundamentally, that is the beef I’m hearing from the people who read the blog when they talk to me.

It’s even more comical when I read this about the HuffingtonPost, the online alternative to newspapers:

It’s an almost comically audacious ambition for an operation with only forty-six full-time employees—many of whom are barely old enough to rent a car. But, with about eleven million dollars at its disposal, the site is poised to break even on advertising revenue of somewhere between six and ten million dollars annually.

Alterman, though, does take a dig at the Post — and presumably other online entities — for its lack of quality content in the sections like sports and the arts, which may not be entirely unfounded.

Still, it’s nice to read a comprehensive history of the industry because it’s maddening to hear my journalist brethren tell me about the morals and ethics of the industry when discussing the blogosphere. Newspapers were founded by partisan advocates pushing their will on their communities. These were not high-minded people trying to report objectively. We still aren’t. These are public companies that have one stated goal: make the shareholders as much money as possible.

Does that mean good journalism can’t happen? Of course that’s not what it means. But the bottom line is this: journalism changes. A lot.

And it’s changing now. Online media companies are figuring out what that new medium looks like. Traditional media companies are not.

Here’s how I know: since 1990, a quarter of all American newspaper jobs have disappeared. What do you think the job market looks like at tech media companies?