What’s Happening:
The past decade or so has seen a massive shift in the way journalism is done. Print journalism is in its decline and even journalistic sites that exist primarily on the web have seen layoffs. This shift has allowed for the growth of entrepreneurial journalism, which has been in an uptick over the past few years, and requires some creativity.
Students from the spring 2019 semester at Brooklyn College in New York, United States have been reporting on entrepreneurial journalism from their perspective, giving a glimpse as to how journalism students view the future of the industry.
Digging Deeper:
Eddy Rodriguez writes, “Entrepreneurial journalists simply see a need in the market and then stake their claim. Then they have to get the word out that the “thing” that has been missing is now available. When the audience responds in droves, if you are lucky, the new business venture is deemed successful.”
Rodriguez cites ProPublica as an example of a news publisher that does things different from “your parent’s daily newspaper.” ProPublica relies heavily on the public to get information or ideas for their stories, which are usually in-depth by nature — and its content is free, relying on donations for revenue.
Alessandra Maldonado asserts that everyone has the right to information, looking to answers on how to properly disseminate news and information to those who do not have access to the internet. Finding solutions to this problem will result in a well-informed society, and can help those who do not have internet access learn how to use technology and creating a path to them owning their own, Maldonado says.
For Aminah Usman, being able to access the news anywhere and everyone one goes is a hallmark of entrepreneurial journalism. Usman specifically looks at adults with families who have challenges accessing news information, and young people who are less susceptible to receiving current news. Usman emphasizes the importance of using a Lean Canvas as a simple way to create business plans and products effectively, along with a Happy Canvas to eliminate waste when creating a business model.
The Bottom Line:
Students at Brooklyn College have views on the future of journalism through the entrepreneurial model, focusing on access and the democracy aspects of news publishing.