Unlocking Journalism Resilience: Adapting the Business Model to Promote Press Freedom

Abstract

The report delves deeper into the digital shift to explore business issues of media in repressed or flawed markets. To-date, little is known about their specific economic experiences while evidence of how revenue models adapt remains scant.

Despite this lack of research, business issues remain a major factor in the ability of media to contribute and impact their communities.

The report identifies how digital media face a particular set of challenges, including business pressures and restrictions. From the one side they tackle issues relating to online registration or high levels of taxation, and the other from added pressure of government controls on advertisers and government-controlled advertising agencies. Media are concerned about digital monetisation and distribution, as well as playing a balancing act with technology giants, Facebook and Google. Lack of data analysis, and a shortage of advertising revenues were cited as key problems.

These challenges are symptomatic both of new media and the new media operations of traditional media, and significantly frustrate the ability of these media to reach their audiences and establish financial sustainability.

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