Roy Greenslade’s final blog: When I started this blog in 2006, Twitter was three months old and Facebook was on the verge of providing public access. Google was up and running, turning a profit, and just beginning to destroy the business model of newspapers.
Since then, the disruption to traditional media has accelerated. While lamenting the loss of newsprint, I envisioned a world where journalism would thrive despite its passing.
Thus far, it hasn’t worked out that way. I know journalism’s future is online and the digital deniers are fooling themselves if they think mass-market newspapers will survive. But we need to beware of losing what we have.
I think print in future will largely serve a niche market (a reality already for magazines). An educated, affluent elite will most likely be prepared to pay for the pleasure of getting ink on their hands.
What is worrying is whether anyone can find a business model to support independent, trustworthy, quality journalism on a large enough scale to stage a daily national conversation.