This presentation, delivered to journalism students in the UK, is all about how journalists need to think differently about their careers in the future.
I outline 10 creative new ways for journalists to make money.
More details: www.nextgenerationjournalist.com
1. The Next Generation Journalist Adam Westbrook www.nextgenerationjournalist.com
2. In 2009, 4,000 people working in journalism & media were laid off UCAS figures show 2,600 people enrolled in journalism courses last year – an increase of 15.7%! There's more of you than there are jobs.
3. If you don't find what you're looking for, be it – create it. S. Dawns “
4. 5 01. it is easier to learn new things and find things out than ever before 02. it is easier and cheaper to create content than ever before 03. it is easier and cheaper to publish that content than ever before 04. it is easier and cheaper to package that content and create communities than ever before 05. it is easier and cheaper to set up a business than ever before things the internet means for journalists
5. The Next Generation Journalist... ...is multi-skilled (video, audio, print, photography, online) ...is a storyteller ...has a portfolio career ...is an innovator ...is ambitious ...ignores conventional wisdom ...is not afraid of failure ...is a do-er
7. the basics business is about creating a product or service for a well-defined market who have a big problem you can solve. Then it's about packaging that product in such a way so as to maximise income. apply that to journalism and that product or service is the information we gather and how we package it. the key is to start with the market: you can't make a product and hope people will flock to it.
8. the products setting up and running a hyperlocal website which provides a news and information service for a well defined community in need of that information. becoming an established expert in a niche field and then creating and packaging products for people in need of your expertise. becoming highly skilled at a part of the journalism process and setting up a business which specialises in that, selling your services to news producers. producing multimedia content for non-editorial clients launching an online magazine for a specific niche audience
9. There's room in the market for 100,000 profitable micro-magazines. Why not have one about Aruba, for example? If all the people who vacation in Aruba could read about the island in detail every month, read about restaurants, resorts and politics, for free, in an easy to share format... Multiply this by every destination, every interest group, every type of profession (how about a micro-magazine for ethnobiologists?) Seth Godin “
10. a lesson from history Cartier-Bresson was a young ambitious professional... ...who was lucky enough to live through a revolution in photography... ...caused by the production of small, affordable, equipment... ...he seized that opportunity and experimented without fear of failure... ...he combined his artistic (non-journalism) abilities with photojournalism ...and saw a business opportunity in setting up Magnum Photos....which he did on the cheap.
11. what do you need to do? think big be unafraid of failure (no seriously, really unafraid of failure ) ignore conventional wisdom be creative , be innovative be prepared to bootstrap
12. A new ecosystem of news, made up of countless smaller players operating under varying means, motives and business models, will undercut the big, old, institutions... ...I see openings for my students to compete with the dying relics by starting highly targeted, ruthlessly relevant new news businesses at incredibly low cost and low risk. Jeff Jarvis “
13. start researching business models and new ideas read blogs from outside journalism not just inside the industry ask yourself: “what do I love about journalism?” “what – specifically – do I love about being a journalist?” learn the skills... and practice them. get really good at it, and then get better. create content...even with no-one to pitch to. 5 things you can do right away
14. E-book published 20 th May 2010 www.nextgenerationjournalist.com #nextgenj www.adamwestbrook.co.uk http://adamwestbrook.wordpress.com @AdamWestbrook