100 likes | 188 Views
Philip M. Napoli Director Donald McGannon Communication Research Center Fordham University New York, NY Media Policy Fellow New America Foundation Washington, DC.
E N D
Philip M. Napoli Director Donald McGannon Communication Research Center Fordham University New York, NY Media Policy Fellow New America Foundation Washington, DC Revisiting the Church-State Separation: A Comparative Consideration of Advertiser Pressure on Traditional and Online Journalism
Rationale • Large body of research on the dynamics of advertiser pressures on traditional media • Direct and indirect influences • Similar literature addressing online media has yet to develop • Focus has instead been on issues of economic viability
Objectives • To highlight the need for more research • To consider extent to which existing research on traditional media can inform research on online contexts • To put forth some propositions about the dynamics of advertiser pressures on online journalism • To consider the dynamics of advertiser pressures in terms of the interactions and interdependencies between traditional and online journalism
Background: Journalism & Advertising • Journalism’s dependence on advertising began in late 19th century grew more pronounced over time • Traditional advertising support model undermined in 21st century • Long tradition of concern about ways in which pressures to attract advertising might affect journalistic output
Advertising’s Influence on Journalism • Some Key Findings: • Emergence of “norm of objectivity” • Decline in competition • “Circulation Spiral” • Increasing emphasis on serving and attracting desirable demographic segments • Affects nature of news coverage • Creation of content to serve advertiser needs • Blurring of line between advertising and editorial
Relevance to Online Journalism • Indirect • Extension of traditional news outlets online • Influence of traditional news outlets on online news outlets • Direct • Extent to which economic and institutional dynamics of online news are comparable
Relevant Online News Dynamics +/- De-Institutionalization of journalism • Both organizationally and procedurally? + More journalism being produced outside of commercial news organizations - Lack of institutionalized “church-state” separation + Opportunities for greater variety and innovation in revenue models - Consumer resistance to paying for online content
Relevant Online News Dynamics • Online news organizations smaller/less bureaucratic • Less able to resist advertiser pressures? + Less internal pressure to maximize profits? • Long tail of audience attention and advertising dollars +/- Disproportionate clustering of advertising dollars around relatively few sources
Conclusion • Difficult to parse traditional from online journalism • Complex ecosystem • Developments affecting online platform affect traditional platforms and vice versa • Effects of inter-platform competition for news audience and advertising dollars • Comparative analyses key to testing propositions put forth here
Thank you! pnapoli@fordham.edu