RobertBellResearchSummary,2017
FIGHTINGTHEBEHEMOTHSustainingHyper-LocalPublicInterestJournalismintheDigitalAgeTMcClure
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Contents
Introduction:Wherearewenow?............4
Thestructureofthisreport…………..8
PartOne………..9
SolvingtheProblemofTrust………...9
MembershipModelsandReaderEngagement…………..9
What’scausedourcrisisintrust?.………..10
MembershipModels…………14
CaseStudy:DeCorrespondent..………..15
PossibleApplications:refiningtheoffering..………..17
LocalApplicationCaseStudy:TheSpinoffAuckland..………..17
Possibleapplications:enhancingaudienceengagement..………..19
CaseStudy:TheFarentholdMethod…………..19
PossibleApplications:HyperlocalMembership…………..21
CaseStudy:TheLens.…………..21
PartTwo…………..24
SolvingtheProblemofLocal…………..24
StateModelsandContentAgreements…………..24
CaseStudy:TheLocalDemocracyReporters…………..25
PossibleApplications:LocalReportingasWireService…………..25
PartThree…………..27
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SolvingtheProblemofSurfaceArea…………..27
Databases,ResurfacingandWikiModels…………..27
CaseStudy:TheMessenger…………..29
LocalApplications:DatabasesandResurfacing…………..31
Conclusion………..35
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Introduction:Wherearewenow?Bothgloballyandlocally,thejournalismindustryisexperiencingunprecedentedlevelsof
convergenceandfinancialpressure.Nowhereisitfeltmorethanatalocallevel.
Theglobaltrendsaretowardshrinkinglocalnewsrooms,andare-concentrationofreportersoutof
localpapersandtowardnationalorinternationaldigitalplatforms.Censusdatashowsthatthe
numberofprintjournalists[thecensusdoesnotrecordadigitaljournalistcategory]inNew
Zealanddroppedanenormous61percentbetween2006and2013.
Meanwhile,thoseleftinjournalismfaceanincreasinglydominantPRindustry-closely
correspondingwiththedropinprintjournalistshavebeena56percentincreaseinnumbersofPR
professionals,between2006and2013.AccordingtoStoppressanalysis,thefinalfigureshave
publicrelationsprofessionalsoutnumberingprint,televisionandradiojournaliststhreetoonein
2013.NewZealanddoesnotkeepdetaileddataonnumbersofprintvsdigitaljournalists1.This
makesitdifficulttotrackhowmanyjournalistsmighthavebeenreassignedfrom,say,traditional
communitynewspaperstonational,digitalnewspublisherslikestuff.co.nz;ornewdigital-only
startupslikeTheSpinoff,VICE,andNewsroom.
Tenyearsago,asjoblossesintraditionalnewsoutletsrampedup,thegrowthofdigitalnewsrooms
wasthebrightsparkinadarkeningmedialandscape.“TraditionalJournalismJobCutsCountered
byDigitalAdditions,”MediaShiftwroteoptimisticallyin2007.Whilewedon’thaveclearNZdata
ontheshiftfromprinttodigital,wecanlooktotheglobaltrends:intheUSA,between2005and
2015,thenumberofprintjournalistsdeclinedby25,090journalists,or38percent.Inthesame
timeperiod,thenumberofjournalistsatdigital-onlypublisherstripled,from3,410to10,580.So
whilethenumberofreportersatdigital-onlyoutletswasgrowing,theywerenowherenearkeeping
upwiththedrop-offfromprint:foreverysinglejournalistgainedinthedigitalsphere,aroundthree
werelostfromprint.Additionally,USemploymentdataindicatesthatthegrowthofdigitaloutlets
mayhavealreadypeaked-withdigital-onlyjournalistnumbersplateauingbetween2012and
2015.Globally,thelastyearhasbeenadarkonefordigitaloutlets,withsignificantcutbacksat
1Giventhatcensusdatacategorisesjournalistsbyprint,radioortelevision,it’ssafetoassumethatdigitaljournalistsare
primarilybeingrecordedundertheprintcategory.
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digitalpublishersMic,VICE,MTVNews,AlJazeeraUS,HuffingtonPost,andGuardianUS.Inthelast
yearalone,key,credibleplayersinonlinejournalism-includingthebulkofMTVNews'longform
andreportingcapacity,AlJazeeraUS,Gothamistafteritsstaffattemptedtounionise,andGawkerat
thebehestofavengefulbillionaire-havedisappearedcompletely.Othershavestuckaround,but
takenstepstocuttheirspendingonwrittennews,favouringinsteada“pivottovideo”tochaseone
ofthelastremainingpotsofdigitaladvertisingcashinaswiftlydiminishinglandscape.
Inshort,whilethenumberofjournalistsemployedat‘digitalnative’startupshasincreased,they’re
stillnowherenearkeepingupwiththerateoflossfromtraditionaloutlets.Additionally,they’renot
necessarilyreplicatingthesameservicesasmoretraditionalorlocalmediaoutlets-andeventhe
newdigitaljobsarenotnecessarilysafeorstable.
Globaltrendsdemonstratethatthatlossisparticularlyfeltatthelocallevel.AccordingtothePew
ResearchCenter,between2003and2014thenumberoffull-timenewspaper‘statehouse’reporters
-reportingonlocaldemocracy-declinedby35percent.Thenumberofdedicatedcourtreporters
hadhalved.Again,NewZealanddoesnotkeepspecificdataabouthowmanyjournalistsarebeing
lostandwherefrom,butthecutsarehappening.
In2017,anopenletterfromFairfaxandNZMEeditors-representingthebulkoflocalnewspapers
acrossthecountry-wrotethatwithoutamerger,“manyjobswillinevitablybelost.”
“Webelieve-no,weknow-thattherapiddismantlingoflocalnewsroomsandjournalismatscale
inthiscountryisinevitableifthismergerdoesnotproceed.”
Themergerdidnotproceed,andthoseeditorshavebeentruetotheirword:thepromisedcuts
havebegunarriving.Inrecentweeks,Stuff[previouslyFairfaxNZ]announcedthatitwassellingor
closing28ruralorcommunitynewspapers,makingupmorethanathird-or35percent-ofthe
company’sprinttitles.AweekbeforethecutsatStuff,AustralianAssociatedPressannouncedit
wasshutteringNewZealandNewswireand14journalistjobswithit.
"Wepredictedthisoutcome.Wesaidthatultimatelytherewouldhavetoberationalisation,”Greg
Hywood,chiefexecutiveofAustralianparentcompanyFairfaxMediasaid.
Askedwhethertheremightbemorecuts,Hywoodsaid,"Wewillmakedecisionsonapublicationby
publication-basisaboutwhethertheyareaddingvaluetothebusinessornot."
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Asoverallnumbersdecrease,theindustryhassimultaneouslyseenareconcentrationofjournalist
numbersinthelargercities:mostnoticeablyWellingtonandAuckland.Thebroaderpictureisof
highnumbersofjournalistsleakingoutoftheregionalpapers,andresourcesbeingredeployedin
centralised,nationalnewsrooms.
But,asJackSchaferwroteforPolitico,“Conventionalnewspapers,foralltheirshortcomings,remain
thebestsourceofinformationabouttheworkingsofourgovernment,ofindustry,andofthemajor
institutionsthatdominateourlives.Theystillpublishadisproportionateamountofthe
accountabilityjournalismavailable,afunctionthat’snotbeingfullyreplacedbyonlinenewcomers
orthenonprofitentitiesthathavepoppedup.”
InNewZealandtoo,noneofthenewstartupsandalternativefundingmodels,suchasTheSpinoff,
NewsroomorScoop,arecurrentlycapableof,orfocusedon,thegenreofstrong,constantlocal
reportingthatcommunityoutletshavetraditionallytakenresponsibilityfor.AndwhilenationalNZ
newsrooms-includingprestigeunitslikeStuff’sNationalCorrespondentsandtheHerald’s
Premium,In-DepthandInvestigationsteam-continuetopublishimportantpublicinterestwork,
theydonotreplacehyperlocalreporting.Noraretheyintendedto.Internationalstudiesindicate
thatmetroandnationalnewsroomsdon’tprovidethesamemodeofcoverageaslocalpresses.
Researchershavefoundthatmetrosandnationalstendtofeature“anarrowsetofsources”
comprisingthosewiththeresourcesnecessarytobeinregulartouchwithreporters-withabias
towardofficialsources,andbureaucraticinstitutions.Localorethnicpublishers,bycontrast,
soughtoutahigherproportionof“alternativevoicesintermsofthesourcestheyinterview,asa
mechanismforcreatingastrongerbondwiththeiraudience,”andratherthanreachingoutonlyto
elitesources,tendedto“highlightcitizenswithinthecommunity”.
Ifthispictureisallalittlebleak,it’sstillworthoutlining,ifonlytoknowitpresentsuswithaseries
ofspecificproblems.Journalistsacrosstheboardaredecreasing.Thejournalisticresourceleftin
theindustryisbeingredistributedtolargenationalorurbancentres,andcentraliseddigitaloutlets.
Inthedigitalsphere,hyperlocaljournalismisnotnecessarilyanattractiveofferingfordigital
outletsoraudiences:itisbydefinitionrestrictedinitsaudienceappeal,resource-intensivein
requiringbootsontheground,andislessfrequentlythesourceofviralhitsor‘prestige’-style
reporting.Emergingalternativerevenuestreams,suchasbrand-sponsoredcontent,aren’tanatural
fitfortheday-to-dayofcoveringlocalgovernment,schoolboards,andcommunitygovernance
issues.
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Overallthen?Ifnothingchanges,NewZealandfacesanimpendingapocalypseforlocalpublic
interestjournalism.Withjournalismacrosstheboardunderthreat,it’shardtotreatthelower-
profile,lessglamorousproductsoflocalreportingasapriority.
Butlocalreportingisvital.Localnewsprovidestheground-levelofpublicrecordthat’scrucialto
informedcivicengagementanddecision-making.Itinformscommunitiesabouttheissuesthathave
themostdirectandimmediateeffectontheirlives:fromsportsgameresultstobusinessclosures,
localgovernmentdecisionstoschoolboardvotes.PewResearchCentredataindicatesthatthose
thatregularlyconsumelocalreportingaremorepoliticallyengaged,moreengagedwiththeir
geographiccommunity,andmorelikelytovote.And,asmanyjournalistsknow,bigstoriesarebuilt
onsmallstories:asinvestigativejournalistMattNipperthasputit,“unglamourousrounds-based
news-writing[is]thesuperstructureonwhichlong-formisbuilt”.
Buteveninanuncertainworldforalljournalists,internationalmodelsforfundingthathyperlocal
publicinterestjournalismareemerging.IntheUK,theLocalDemocracyReportersfund150local
governmentjournaliststoprovidecopytoothernewsagencies,includingcommercial.Inthe
Netherlandsand,soon,theUnitedStates,DeCorrespondenthascreatedalarge-scale,sustainable,
member-fundedpublicinterestnewsorganisation,using‘trust’astheprimarymetricfor
measuringtheirsuccess.InNewOrleans,smallhyperlocaloutletsarefosteringmembershipand
advertisingmodels,andcreatingnewdatabasestokeeptheirworkrelevantandcumulative,rather
thanfleetingandtemporary.InNewYorkandWashingtonDC,largeplayersjoinincooperation
withhyperlocaloutletsinmutuallybeneficialrelationships.
TheStructureofthisReport
Theaimofthisreportistoseewhatconcretestrategiesareemergingonthegroundintocounter
thoseproblems,anddevelopcasestudiesforsustainable,appealing,audience-driven,localpublic
servicejournalismthatcouldpotentiallybeappliedtoaNewZealandcontext.Itwillseektoanswer
questionsincluding:
- Howarenewsroomsmakinghyper-localreportingappealingandvisibleacrossnational
digitalplatforms?
- Canlocalnewsoutletscreatesustainablebusinessmodelsondigitalplatforms?
- Howarelocalnewsroomsandreporterscollaboratingwithnationalnewsrooms?
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Thisreportisstructuredtoaddressthethreekeyproblemsidentifiedinthecourseofresearch:
fundinglocalnewsrooms,visibilityoflocalreporting,andtrustinlocalmedia.Theseproblemstend
tobeinterconnectedandcontributetooneanother,butforclarityhavebeendividedalongthese
lines.Eachsectionisthendevotedtospecificsolutions,includingrelevantnewsroomcasestudies
toillustratewhatthemodelsare,andhowtheysolvethestatedproblems.Eachchapterthengoes
ontodiscusspossibilitiesforhowtheprinciplesofthosecasestudiescouldbereplicatedinNew
Zealand,identifyinganyemerginglocalexampleswhichappeartobeapplyingthoseprinciplesin
neworinterestingways.Thosesolutionsandprinciplesincludesiloingofinvestigativejournalism
funding,theinsandoutsofmembershipmodels,howadvertisingcancontinuetoplayarolein
hyperlocalnews,wikianddatabasemodelsforincreasedsurfaceareaofstories,possibilitiesfor
crowdfundingatahyperlocallevel,andhowstateornewswirefundingcanbeappliedtolocal
democracycoverage.
Afinalnote:asbecomesclearinthisreport,thereisnosinglepanacea,orendlesslyreplicableand
scalablemodeltosolvetheproblemsfacinglocalpublicinterestjournalisminNewZealand-or
anywhere.Thefutureoflocalnews,ifitistosurvive,willbeapatchworkofsolutions,funding
streamsandrevenueexperiments.Here,Iseektohighlightwhathasworkedforsomepublishers,
nottosuggestthatasingleplaybookmayworkforall.Ihopethisreportcanaidinintroducing
someofthenewmodelstoNewZealandpublishers,andspurringonlocalconversationsabout
whatcouldbenextforlocalnews.
Acknowledgements
IwanttoparticularlythanktheUniversityofCanterburyjournalismprogrammeforfundingthis
researchandmakingthetravelpossible.ItsRobertBellTravellingScholarshipwasgenerous
enoughformetovisitanddiscusstheseissuesatlengthwithpeopleinnewsroomsacrossthe
UnitedStates,includingTheLens[NewOrleans],DeCorrespondent[NewYork/TheNetherlands],
Propublica[Washington/NewYork],TheNOLAMessenger[NewOrleans].MyspecialthanksgoJay
RosenofDeCorrespondent,SteveBeattyofTheLens,AlShawofPropublica,MichaelStillofSan
FranPublicPressandRobertMorrisofTheMessengerstable,forgivingupsuchsignificantchunks
oftimeforinterviewsanddiscussions,and/orallowingmetospendseveraldaysinyour
newsroomstodevelopcasestudies.Ialsowanttothankthemanynewsrooms,researchersand
funderswhogaveuptimeandconversationsthatinformedmythinkingandthedevelopmentof
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thisreportanditspriorities.IamparticularlygratefultotheInstituteforNonprofitNewsandINN
Days,andtheinsights,introductions,anddepthofinformationandanalysistheyprovided.Thanks
alsototheinsightsofJenniferPrestonofKnightFoundation,JimHeaneyofInvestigativePost,and
MaryWalter-BrownofNewsRevenueHubandDemocracyFund,aswellasmembersofThe
ChicagoReporterandMississippiToday,foryourthoughtsandcontributions.Thoseconversations
andinsightsprovedinvaluableforidentifying,testing,rulingoutandclarifyingarangeofsolutions
tocreatestronglocalnewsnetworks.ThanksalsotoTheMembershipPuzzleProject,whose
country-wideresearchintomembershipmodelswashighlyusefulandisworthreadinginits
entiretyifyou’reanewsroomleaderlookingtodevelopamembershipbase.Thescholarshipalso
coveredattendanceoftheInvestigativeReportersandEditorsConference,whereIwasableto
attendrelevantsessionswhichassistedparticularlywiththecasestudiesonthe‘Farenthold
Method’andLocalDemocracyReporters.
Finally,timeisarareresourceinthisindustryandI’mverygratefulfortheRobertBellTravelling
ScholarshipforprovidingspaceintheUStoread,research,consider,reviseandprocessthereport-
whichprovedalmostashelpfultothewritingastheinterviewsthemselves.I’mendlesslygrateful
fortheopportunity,andhopethisreportprovesusefultoNewZealand’scontinuingjournalism
ecosystem.
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SolvingtheproblemoftrustMembershipModelsandReaderEngagement
“Wemustreconceiveofmediaandjournalismasaservice,notaproduct.”
- JeffJarvis,WhitherNews?
"Onethingoutofthenestof[trust]problemsthatexplodedin2016wasthedeteriorationof
journalismatalocallevel,whichisalong-termproblem.Thereasonthat'ssoimportantisthatthat
relationship-betweenlocalcitizensandtheirlocalsourcesofinformation-istheprovinggroundfor
trust.That'swhereitstarts,that'swherepeople'srelationshiptojournalismbegins.Whetherit'sthe
sportspages,ortheparentswhonowcareaboutschooldistrictbecausetheyhavekidsinit-that's
wheretherelationshipstarts.Sothedeteriorationofqualityandbootsonthegroundatthelocallevel
ispartofhowwegotintothiscrisisoftrust."
- JayRosen,MediaCritic,MembershipPuzzleHead&DeCorrespondentAmbassador
Higherlevelsoftrustthanwecurrentlyholdareessentialtomanyofthealternativesto
advertising-drivenbusinessandrevenuemodels.Trustisessentialtojournalismifwewanttoget
peopletopayforourproduct.Itiscrucialtomember-fundedjournalism;topublic-funded
journalism,tocrowd-fundedjournalism.
InboththeUnitedStatesandtheUK,thequestionoftrustisconsideredoneofthemosturgent
risksfacingjournalism.InNewZealandjournalism,theproblemoftrustisregardedasalesscritical
threatthanthemoreimmediate,tangibledisastersofrevenuelossandacollapsingbusinessmodel.
ButthesituationinNewZealandisnotfundamentallydifferenttotheingredientsthatleadtothe
crisisinAmerica.Accordingtothe2017AcumenEdelmenTrustBarometer,NewZealandhassome
ofthelowestlevelsoftrustinmediaintheworld.Globally,levelsoftrustinmediahavefallen
steadilyoverthepast30years,hittinganall-timelowin2017.HereinNewZealand,ourlevelsof
trustinmediaareevenlowerthantheglobalaverage.Wehavelowerlevelsoftrustinmediathan
theUK,USA,andAustralia.Buckingtheglobaltrend,wetrustourjournalistsevenlessthanour
politicians.AccordingtotheAcumenEdelmanresearch,NewZealandalsohasoneofthelargest
“trustgaps”intheworld.That’sthediscrepancybetweenhowmuchthe“informedpublic”-a
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highlyeducated,media-saturated,high-earningminority-trustsinstitutions,ascomparedtothe
generalpublic.NewZealandhasatrustgapof20points-withratesoftrustamongthe‘informed
public’sittingataround62percent,comparedtothegeneralpublic’strustlevelsataround41.New
ZealandisbeatenonthismeasureonlybytheUSA.
Inthissection,I'lllookatsomeofthekeyreasonsidentifiedformistrustofmediaintheUnited
States-mostofwhicharehighlyapplicabletoourowncontext.Inthenextsection,I'lloutlinethe
casestudyofDeCorrespondent,aDutchstart-upwhichoperateswithtrustasitskeymetric,and
howitusesthathighlevelofreadertrusttocreaterevenue.Inthefollowingsection,I'lloutline
strategiesNewZealandnewsroomscouldconsideradopting.
What’sCausedOurCrisisInTrust?
WhensurveyingNewZealandjournalists,thelackoftrustinmediaissometimesdescribedasan
inevitability;anunfairandunfoundedfailureofpublicperception;andaresultofthepublic’s
fundamentalmisunderstandingand/orignoranceofwhatwedo.Somedegreeofthatisprobably
true.Globally,trustofalllargeinstitutionsisdown;therewillalwaysbepeoplewithatendencyto
mistrustlargeinstitutionslikethemedia,andsomepeoplewillalwaysbedismissiveofreportsthat
conflictwiththeirworldviewordelivernewstheydon’twanttohear-somethingthatgood
reportingiswonttodo.
Butsomeofourmistrustlevelsalsohavetheirrootsinjournalism’spracticesandbusinessmodel-
issuesthatapplyequallyinNewZealandandinternationally.
Toidentifysomeoftheingredientsleadingtotherecord-lowlevelsofmistrustintheUS,I
interviewedtoJayRosen,aprofessoratNYUJournalism,andamediacommentatorandanalyst
whohasbeenwritingaboutissuesoftrustandmediaperceptionsincethenineties.Heoutlineda
numberoffactors,thefollowingofwhichwerealsoarticulatedbyothermediaoutlets,editorsand
journalists.I'veroughlydividedthemintofivecategories.
1.Destructionofprintrevenues:thefailureoftheprintadvertisingmodelhasleadtocost-cutting,
evacuationofnewsrooms,fewerstaff,moreerrorsincopy,fasterdeadlines.IntheUS,cost-cutting
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hashitparticularlyhardatalocallevel,withsmallercommunitypapersshuttingupshopor
reducingstaff.
2.Lossoflocalreporting-connectedtothedestructionoftheprint/advertisingmodels,thecutting
ofnewsroomsandjournalismresourcehasbeenparticularlyfeltatthelocallevel.Rosensays,
"Onethingoutofthenestof[trust]problemsthatexplodedin2016wasthedeteriorationof
journalismatalocallevel,whichisalong-termproblem.Thereasonthat'ssoimportantisthat
thatrelationship-betweenlocalcitizensandtheirlocalsourcesofinformation-istheproving
groundfortrust.That'swhereitstarts,that'swherepeople'srelationshiptojournalismbegins.
Whetherit'sthesportspages,ortheparentswhonowcareaboutschooldistrictbecausethey
havekidsinit-that'swheretherelationshipstarts.Sothedeteriorationofqualityandboots
onthegroundatthelocallevelispartofhowwegotintothiscrisisoftrust."
WhenIinterviewedNewZealandjournalistsabouttheirreflectionsontrustlevelsnationally,
severalmentionedtheerosionofhyper-localreportingasakeyfactor.Onereporterremarked,
“Perhaps[it’s]duetolesscommunitynews(orfeweroutletsingeneral)-peoplefeelthatnews
isnotabout/forthem.”
Anotherjournalistwhoworkedforasmallregionalpaperprovidedmoredetail.NewZealand’s
communitypapers,shesays,
“Usedtoeachhavetheirowneditorandreporters,whobecamewell-knownintheirrespective
communities.Thosestaffwouldbeeasilyaccessible-readerscouldwalkintonewspaperoffices
andtalktothem,includingtotheeditor-andtheywouldattendallmannerofmeetingsand
eventswithinthecommunity.Inotherwords,therewashighvisibilityinthecommunity...and
thereforeacertainsenseoftrust.
Thatmodelhasbeenkilledoffbycuts,layoffsandrestructure.Thelossofcommunityeditorsis
abigthingforcommunities.Thosepeoplewereheldinhighesteem.Also,alackofstaffand
resourcesmeansstoriesjustdon'tgetcoveredorarereprintedfromthedailypaper.So,
communitiesaremissingoutcoverageofeventsandnewstheydeemimportanttothem.
ThosekindsofcutsarereplicatedupanddownNewZealand."
Theerosionoflocaljournalismcanhaveadisproportionateeffectonpeople’sopinionofmedia
institutionsmorebroadly-and,consequently,theirwillingnesstoinvestintheproduct.
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3.Digitaltraffic-drivenbusinessmodel-thedigitalmodelofrevenue,whichdependsonhigh
numbersofpageviewsand/orthesaleofsubscriberinformationtoadvertisers,generates
problemsoftrust.Thedrivetobuildandmonetiseaudiencesresultsinclickbait,syndicated
sensationaliststories,misleadingheadlines,intrusiveads,andtrackingofuserdata.Inthe2018
AcumenEdelmanTrustBarometer,forexample,69percentofNewZealandrespondentsbelieved
mediawere“moreconcernedwithattractingabigaudiencethanreporting”.
4.Majorfailuresofthe“watchdogpress”-RosenarguestheUnitedStatespresshadaseriesof
shockingfailuresthaterodedpublictrustintheinstitution.Heidentifiesthefailuretodetecta
faultycaseforthewarinIraqin2003;thefailuretowarnthepublicaboutendemiccorruptionin
themortgagemarketandthe2008financialcrisis;andthefailuretoappropriatelycoverTrump’s
campaign,culminatinginthenear-universalfailuretoaccuratelypredicttheoutcomeofthe
election.Ineachofthosecases,hesays,
“It'snotjustthattherewasafailure.It'sthattherewasnoseriousself-examinationafterthat
failure-therewasnoindustry-widepost-mortemorinvestigationofhowthathappened,and
noreallesson-learningfromit.”
Thefailingsprovide‘pegs’onwhichtohangapublicnarrativethathasgainedmomentuminrecent
years:thatthemediaisinaccurate,orcorrupt,oroutoftouchwithreality.Elsewhereintheworld,
similarfailureshaveoccurred.IntheUK,wecouldpointtothe2009revelationsofwidespread
phonehackingbythepress;morerecently,thefailuretopredicttheoutcomeofBrexit.Whatmight
NewZealand’sequivalentsbe?Nothingsodramatic,butwecouldconsiderthefalloutfromDirty
Politics,whichrevealedreporters’vulnerabilitytomanipulationbypartisanpoliticalplayers,or
morebroadly,thesyndicationofinaccurateandpoorqualityglobalcontent,ortheuseofOutbrain
haveerodedpublictrustinlocalreportinginstitutions.AcumenEdelmenfound64percentofNew
Zealanderssaidtheycouldnolongerdiscern“goodjournalismfromrumourorfalsehoods,”and62
percentsaidasaresultofthemediafailingtofulfilitsresponsibilities,theynolongerknewwhat
wastrueandwhatwasnot.
5.Professionalmodelofjournalism-adoptinganideologyof‘objectivity'whichbecamecounter-
productivefortrustwhenscrutinised.Rosenarguesthatinitially,themodelofprofessional
detachmentandobjectivityseemedtobethewaytogeneratetrust.Overtime,however,it
backfired:thedistancingbecameareasonthepublicadoptedtodistrustmedia
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"Atacertainpoint,whathappenedwasthatthisclaim,of"wedon'thaveanideology,wedon'thavea
position,wedon'thaveanypolitics,wejusttellyouthewayitis,youshouldbelieveitbecauseit'sjust
thefacts"-thatclaimitselfstartedtogeneratemistrust.Itbecameawayofmobilizingdiscontent
withelites.Generatingreactionandresentmentthatwaybecameaveryeffectivewayofdoing
politics."
In2018,theTrustBarometersurveyfound48percentofNewZealandersbelievethemedia
“supportanideologyratherthaninformingthepublic”-slightlylowerthantheglobalaverage,but
stillincludingalmosthalfofthegeneralpopulation.
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MembershipModelsMembershipmodelsaredesignedtocreateanewsocialcontractbetweenjournalists(ornews
organisations)andtheiraudiences.Membershipmodelsaredistinguishedbytheirdepthof
connectionandlevelofmutualexchangebetweenaudiencemembersandjournalismproviders.
IntheUnitedStates,anin-depthstudybyMembershipPuzzleof22digitally-basedmembership-
modelsfoundthosewithasuccessful,financiallysustainableandthrivingmembershipconsistently
hadthesefeatures:
- Aclearmissionororiginstory
- Focusedonthelimitationsandflawsofwhatwasalreadyavailable
- Modelsofengagementthatwereapproachableasopposedtoinstitutional
- Allowedavarietyofroutesforaudienceparticipation,whichtakesconcreteform
ResearchprojecttheMembershipPuzzlenotesthatit'sextremelyrarefornewsorganisationstobe
100percentfundedbydirectaudiencerevenue.Thiswasthecaseformembershipmodelsacross
theUnitedStates,includingcasestudiesforthisreportTheLens(alsosustainedbylarge-scale
philanthropicbodiesandspeakingfees)andDeCorrespondent(alsosustainedbybookpublishing,
crowd-funding,andspeakers).
CaseStudy:DeCorrespondentWhatwouldhappenifanewsorganisationmaximisedfortrust?Iftrust-asopposedtoaudience,pageviews,orsales-wasthekeymetricforsuccess?DeCorrespondentgoessomewaytoanswerthatquestion.Ataglance:● DeCorrespondentisaNetherlands-basedjournalismstartupthatbeganpublishing
in2013.● Itisfinanciallysustainable,fundedbymorethan52,000payingmembers.Around
78percentofmemberspay€60ayear,theother22percentpay€6amonth.From
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membershipcontributionsalone,thatgivesthemanoperatingbudgetofroughly€3.2million[NZD5.6million]peryear.
● Aswellasmembercontributions,thepublicationrunsitsownbook-publishingarmandspeakersbureau,whichcontributeasmallamounttoitsincome.
● Pre-launch,itbroketheworldrecordforjournalismcrowd-funding,raising1.7millionin30days.
● Itnowemploysmorethan31beatcorrespondents.
● ThecompanyiscurrentlylookingtomakeitsentrytotheUnitedStates.IspoketotheirUS-basedambassadorJayRosenaboutthemodel.
Atmostjournalismoutlets,weconsiderhowourworkmeasuresuptoseveralmetrics.Financialsuccessisakeyone:indigitaljournalism,thisamountstopageviews.Howmanypeoplereadit?Diditgoviral?Butwelookatothermetricstoo.Oneisrecognition-didourpeerslikeit?Didpeoplewriteletterstotheeditor,orcommentindroves?Anotherisimpact:diditchangealaw?Triggeraresignationoraninvestigation?DeCorrespondentisaglimpseofwhatjournalismmightlooklikeifthekeymetricwasreadertrust.Sofar,ithasworkedforthem.Thesite’sclarityofmissionandethoshaswonitastrongholdofsupporters,tothepointwhereitisfinanciallysustainableandthesizeofsomeofNewZealand’slargernewsrooms.Someofitskeyprinciplesinclude:Freeofads,andnotprofit-driven.Fundedalmostentirelybyitsmembershipbase,thesitehasnoadvertising,nosponsors,noshareholders.Itpublishesitsfinancesandspendingeveryyear.Thecompanyislimitedprofit,meaningthevastmajorityofanyprofitsarereinvestedbackintothejournalism.Thefounders’accesstoprofitiscappedat5percent.Anantidotetothedailynewsgrind.
Thecompany’sinformalethosistocover“nottheweather,buttheclimate”
"[Weareveryself-consciousaboutstrikingoutinadifferentdirectionthanjusttheDailyNewsflowthateverybodyelsehas.Whenyougotothesiteinthemorningorifyoureadtheiremail,it'snotthesamestoriesintherestoftheDutchmediabecausetheydon'tcareaboutthedailystories,they'redoinglonger-terminvestigations:nottheweather,whichisadailycyclicalthing,buttheclimate,whichistheunderlyingforcesthatarechangingtheworld."
JournalismasaserviceTheoutletisfocusedonreconceivingmediaandjournalismasaservice,notaproduct-andthatmeansareinventionintheeyesoftheiraudience.SpeakingtoNiemenLab,oneofthefoundersreflectsthatakeytotheirsuccessfulfundraisingwasthefocusontheprovisionofvalueformembers,ratherthansaving
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journalismasapublicgood."Oneimportantthingitisthatwedidn'ttalkaboutjournalismor‘saveourjobs,'"saysWijnberg,the34-year-oldeditor-in-chief.“Wealwaystalkedabouttheservicewewouldprovidetoreaders.”DrivingeditorialsovereigntydownDecision-makingauthorityisdriventothewriterlevel,ratherthanheldhigherupthehierarchyofeditorial.
“Writersgettodecidewhattheirbeatis.thewritersgettopicktheirreportingprojectsandthewritersareencouragedtodefinetheirworkaroundtheirownobsessions-thingsthey'repassionateabout.Thathasaneffectontrustbecauseyou'reyou'rereadingtheworkofpeoplewhocaredeeplyaboutwhatthey'redoing-notbecausesomebodysaid,“gocoverthis”
Activelyinvolvingmembersinthejournalisticprocess
PerhapsauniquefeatureofDeCorrespondent'smodelisitsfocusoninteractingwiththeiraudience.Beatjournalistsattheorganisationhavetospendabout30to40percentoftheirtimeinteractingwithreaders.Eachindividualjournalistsendsoutregularemailnewsletterstotheirsubscriberbase,detailingwhatthey'reworkingon,howit'sgoing,whatknowledgeneedstheyhave,whatthey'remissing,whatkindsofsourcesthey'relookingfor,whatquestionstheyhave.Theorganisationhascultivatedaphilosophyof'everybody'sanexpertinsomething'.
“Andwhenyouareanexpertinwhatwe'rereportingandresearching…weshouldaskyoutocontribute-weshouldgetthatknowledgeflowingin.”
PossibleApplications:refiningtheoffering
ForNewZealand'slargecommercialmediaorganisations,wholesaleadoptionthekindsof
principlesandstructuresofDeCorrespondentwouldrequireatotalrestructureofnewsroom
priorities,hierarchies,andpractices.Butindividually,someoftheorganisation'sprinciplescould
beimplemented.
Firewallingoff“publicservicearms”TheMembershipPuzzle’s2017assessmentofmembershipmodelsdescribesthesuccessfulcandidatesas“manifestlymission-driven”.
18
Subscriptionmodels,itconcludes,areonlyfunctionalwhenaudiencesperceivetheoutlet’snews
andanalysisasprovidingenoughuniquevalue-inthesamewaythatspecialistoutletssuchasNew
Zealand’sNationalBusinessReviewappealtoinstitutionalaudiencesinspecificindustries.
It’smoredifficultforlargeinstitutionalplayers,suchasStuff,theNewZealandHerald,orRadioNZ
toaccessthatkindoffunding:theylackthespecificityofmissionstatementorvisionthatsmaller
playerscanarticulate.Onepotentialwayaroundtheproblemistofirewallofffundableprojects.
Whileaudiencesmaybereluctanttobecome‘memberfunders'ofalargemediaentityasawhole,
separatingoutmorespecificcampaignpossibilities,withclearlydefinedgoalsandfunctionscan
proveeffective.Thiscouldincludefundingforlocalreportingprojects,wherethereisahighlevelof
localpublicinterestandclearexamplesofvalueoffering.
LocalApplicationCaseStudy:TheSpinoffAuckland
Inmid-2016,AucklandCityCouncilwasontheeveofvotingonitsunitaryplan,whichwoulddictatethedirectionofthecity'sdevelopmentforyearstocome.DigitaloutletTheSpinofflaunchedacrowd-fundingcampaignforwhatitdubbeda"WarforAuckland"-fundingpoliticalandsocialaffairscoveragedirectlyconnectedtoAucklandlocalgovernmentintheleaduptothevote.Thesitepromisedtoprovidecoveragealignedwithcertainspecificgoals-especiallysolvinghousingaffordability,andmakingthecitymoreaccessibleforyoungadults-thattheyfelthadbeenunderrepresentedinmainstreammediacoverage.Atthelaunchofthesite’scrowdfundingcampaign,editorDuncanGreivewrote:
Ifyoubelievethisisimportanttoo,thenwe’dloveyourhelp.We’vefundedeverypartofourcoverageofthiselectionandthehousingcrisisourselvestothispoint–fromsatiricaltakestodeeplyreportedfeatures.It’spartofhowwegivebacktothecommunitywhichraisedus.Butit’salsoexhausting,andexpensive.…We’reaskingformoneyforthisspecificproject,frombothbusinessesandindividuals,tochipineitherpubliclyoranonymously.Whatwe’resayingis:ifyouthinkit’simportantthatweliveinamoderncitywhichisfitforpurposeintothefuture,thenwewouldloveyourhelptocoverthiselectionwiththatinmind.
Hecommitstodedicatinganymoneyraisedto“payingcontributors,increasingthesocialreachofelection-specificposts,creatingcollateral,developingelection-specificpartsofthe
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site,payingfact-checkers,creatingvideo–basicallyanythingwecanthinkoftomaketheyoungandtheinterestedcaremoreabouttheelection,andgetthemvoting.”Theprojectlaunchedwithamodestfundraisinggoalof$10,000.Itclosedawhiskerawayfrom$25,000.PerhapsmorethananyotherexampleinNewZealand,theWarforAucklanddemonstratedthepossibilitiesformembershipfundingofhyperlocaljournalisminNewZealand.ItholdsthesamekeyattributesoutlinedbyTheMembershipPuzzlefor“thick”membership-fundedmodels:offeringaclearmissionororiginstory;focusingonthelimitationsandflawsofwhat’salreadyavailable;providingclearlinesofconcreteparticipation.Thecampaignerrstowardapproachableoverinstitutional,atleastinthesensethatitemphaticallygroundsTheSpinoffwithintheAucklandenvironmentandasaconcernedpartyintheoutcome:“It’spartofhowwegivebacktothecommunitywhichraisedus,”theysay.Theinitiativealsowentsomewaytoabandoningahardlineobjectivityfocus,callingit“anunashamedlycampaigningnewpartofthesite”-anotherattributethatcanbuildtrustinlocaloutlets.TheWarforAucklandgivessomehopethatthestrategiesofmembershipmodelscanbeappliedtoaNewZealandcontext-and,morepromisinglystill,tothe‘unglamorous'projectsoflocaldemocracyreporting.Itdemonstrates,too,thatthosestrategiescanbeappliedtoaring-fencedproject,aswellasanentirenewsorganisation-TheWarforAucklandwasmember-funded;TheSpinoffisnot.
PossibleApplications:EnhancingAudienceEngagement.
“ItakeitforgrantedthatmyreadersknowmorethanIdo,andthisisaliberatingnotthreateningfactofjournalisticlife.Everyreporteroneverybeatshouldembracethis.Wewillusethetoolsofgrassrootsjournalismorbeconsignedtohistory.”DanGillmor,WeTheMedia,2004
Takingonnewlevelsofaudienceengagement-andtakingthemseriously-canrequireadramatic
shiftinnewsroomcultureandjournalistpriorities.AsMerelBorgerwritesinParticipatory
Journalism:RethinkingJournalismintheDigitalAge:“Journalism’sideologyhaslongprovideda
senseofwhois‘in’andbyconsequencealsoofwhois‘out’:professionaljournalistsarein,while,
amongstothers,sources,theaudience,andthosefromneighbouringoccupations,likepublic
relationsandcommunication,areout.”
20
Thismeanscontributionsor‘reporting’sourceddirectfromthepublicareoftenviewedwith
suspicioninjournalism,Buthigh-levelengagementwithaudiencescanbenefitjournalistsand
newsroomsintangibleways.
CaseStudy:TheFahrentholdMethod
By2016,theWashingtonPost'sDavidFahrentholdhadbeencoveringtheUnitedStatespresidentialelectioncampaignfor13months.He'dcoveredcandidateafterfailedcandidateandwasonthelookoutforanewbeat-whenhebecamecuriousaboutwhetherthen-candidateDonaldTrumphadactuallygivenawaythemoneyhe'draised,andpromisedtoveterans.Aswithmanyjournalists,hisfirstsearchwasforpaperwork-buthediscoveredthatIRSpaperswouldn’tbefileduntilatleast2017,andevenifthefilingsweresuspect,the
timeframeforaninvestigationwouldbelengthy.TheTrumpFoundation,inturn,saidthemoneyhadbeenspent,butwouldn’tprovidedetailsonwhereorhow.Stymiedbyofficialsources,Fahrentholdturnedinsteadtoanewknowledgecommunity:hisaudience.FarentholdannouncedhisqueryonTwitter,andbegantalkingtoveteransgroupsaboutwhetherthey'dreceivedfunds.Thenextday,Trumphadcalledapressconference,announcingthathe'dgiventhefullmillionaway.ButFarenholdt’sinterestwaspiqued-andhebroadenedtheinvestigationtolookatallofTrump’spersonalcharitablegiving,whichthecandidatehadsaidamountedtomorethan12million.Again,heturnedtoTwitter,constructingalistofpossiblecharitiesTrumpmayhavegivento,andupdatinghisfollowersontheprogressontheinvestigationinreal
time.
Theprocessappears,inmanyways,tobetheoppositetohowinvestigativejournaliststend
towork:secretly,infearofbeingscooped,releasingtheresultsonlywhentheinvestigation
iscomplete.ButtheresponsetoFarenholdt’sstrategywasenormous.Byliftingthecurtain
onhisreportingprocess,hecreatesanintenselyinvestedknowledgecommunityof
21
followers,whonotonlypaidattentiontothefinaljournalisticproduct,butalsoassistedhim
alongtheway:providingtipsforothercharities,confirmingordenyingdonations,and
spreadingthescopeoftheinvestigation.
Hesaysinthisreportonhisownreporting,“Ihadattractedavirtualarmy,readytojointhe
scavengerhunt.Ihadbeguntheyearwith4,700Twitterfollowers.BySeptemberIhad
morethan60,000andclimbingfast.”
Fahrentholdrepeatedtheprocessanumberoftimes-usingtheTwittercommunitytotrack
downpaintingspurchasedwithcharitablefunds,orfakeTIMEmagazinecoversdisplayedin
Trumpresidences.Lessmeasurable,butstillvital,wastheimpactoftheprocessonreader
engagementandtrust.Byallowingreaderstosee,stepbystep,themechanicsoftheproject:
pagesofnotepaper,callsmade,charitiestickedoffonebyone-Farentholddemonstrated
thelegworkandchallengeoftheinvestigation.Readerswhohadbeenprivytoeverystepof
theworkingprocesssawhowarduousitwas,andwere-potentially-lesslikelyto
disbelievethefinalconclusionsoftheinvestigation.Rosennotedinourinterview,and
summedupsuccinctlyhere:“Fahrenthold’smethodssuggestedthatbulletproofingcouldbe
madesocial:whenpeoplefollowalongwithyourinvestigation,they’relikelytocorrectyou
ifyougetsomethingwrong.Thathelpsbuildtrust.”
TheFarentholdMethodoffersadifferent,lessstructuredexampleofimplementingtheprinciplesof
amembershipmodel.
Ratherthanseekingfinancialresource,Farentholdprimarilyworkswithhisreadershiptoaccess
knowledgeresource.Hisapproachdemonstrates,inparticular,twofeaturesofsuccessful
membership:amodelofengagementthatisapproachableasopposedtoinstitutional;allowinga
varietyofroutesforaudienceparticipation,whichtakesconcreteform.
HealsoimplementsanumberofsimilarprinciplestoDeCorrespondent:specificallyhisradical
involvementofhis‘membership'inthejournalisticprocess,andpracticeofinforminghisaudience
ofprogress,knowledgegapsandintentions.Theseprinciplesareapplicableforbothnewsrooms
andindividualjournalistslookingtomoredeeplyengageandaccessresourcewithinthe
communitiestheywriteforandabout.
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MembershipataHyperlocalLevelTheLensNewOrleansAtaglance:
- Anon-profit,publicinterestnewsroom- Sustainssixstaff- Focusoninvestigationsinafewroundsofimmediateandtangibleconcerntothelocal
community:localgovernment,environmentaldegradation,andcharterschools.- Maintainspartnershipsandcollaborationswithhigh-profile,nationalnewsrooms,including
ProPublicaandNPR- Dependsonadiversemixtureofrevenuestreams:membership,TheLensspeaker’sbureau,
donationsfromlargephilanthropicbodies,andsaleofstoriestolargernationalplayers.Ataninner-citycommunitycentreinNewOrleans,asmallgroupofjournalistshasgatheredataninner-citybar.It'sTheLenshappyhour,oneofthebi-monthlyeventswherejournalistsoftheLensmeetwiththeirmembersandcommunity.Therearound30peopleheretonight.SomehavewrittenopinionpiecesforTheLensbefore.Othersareinvolvedwithlocalgovernment.Othersarejustinterestedcommunitymembersorloversofrum-basedpunch.Theeveningismodelledon“NewsandBrews”,astyleofeventthat'sbecomeaninstitutioninsmall,nonprofitandmember-fundednewsroomsacrosstheUnitedStates.Theeventsaredesignedwithadualpurpose:theyliftthecurtainonthenewsroom'spersonnel,allowingmemberstodirectlyinteract,feel‘partoftheproject',discusscoverage,anddemandaccountabilityfromjournalists.Ontheotherside,it'sanopportunityforjournaliststocultivatetheknowledgecommunitywithintheirmembershipbase:togettips,information,clarificationandcontactsfromthelocalcommunity.TheLensisasmall,reader-supported,nonprofitnewsroomthatfocusesexclusivelyonpublic-policyissues.Theyhavearelativelytinyteamofsix,buthaveahighhit-rateforthatnumber,andhavewonmultiplenationalawardsfortheircoverage.Theoutlet’smissionistohoneinonthestoriesothersaren’tcovering,focusingonafewcoreareas:coastalloss,charterschools,governmentaccountability,landuse,andcriminaljustice.“Mostmediaoutletsareamilewideandaninchdeep,”saysSteveBeatty,editoroftheLens.Instead,hisreportersfocusonexclusiveworkthatdeeplyimpactsmembersofthecommunity.“Everythingwewritemustbeoriginal,hesays.“You’llneverfindusinapressconference;wetrytoneverbeinthescrum.”
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PossibleApplications:Partnershipswithbiggerplayers
SomeoftheLens’mostsuccessfulpiecesofworkoccurredincollaborationwithnational,highly
resourcednewsrooms.ParticularlynotableisLosingGround,ajoint-bylinedprojectbetweenthe
LensandProPublica.Theprojectwasthefirstcomprehensivedocumenttrackingofland-lossin
Louisiana.ItwasleadbyBobMarshall-theLens'long-timeenvironmentalreporter-and
ProPublicadatajournalistsAlShawandBrianJacobs,whoanalysedyearsofsatelliteandhistorical
imagerytotracktheamountoflanddisappearingalongthecoastline.InterviewingProPublica'sAl
Shaw,hesaidtheexchangewasofmutualbenefit:"Wehadthetechnicalexpertise,butBob
Marshallhadthatlocalknowledge.Hewasafishermanandknewthewetlandssointimately."The
projectwasabletocombinethestrengthsofbothnewsrooms:thekindofhigh-leveldatascience
expertisethatcanusuallyonlybemaintainedbymajornewsrooms,andthebootsontheground,
long-termlocalfamiliarityandcontactsofsmall,hyperlocalnewsrooms.Theprojectwonmultiple
nationalawards,butitalsodemonstratesapossiblepathwayforwardforNewZealandoutlets:how
largerplayerscancooperatewithhyperlocaloutletsformutuallybeneficialarrangements.
DeepCommunicationwithMembership
TheLensmaintainsadeeprelationshipwithitsmembershipbase,sendingoutregularemail
updates,holdingevents,andensuringstaffmembersremaincontactableandincontactwiththeir
subscribers.Theymakelarge-scaleattemptstoreachmembersoftheirgeographicregionwho
wouldn'totherwisebeawareofthem.Duringone[ongoing]investigationintoillegalsubpoena
formsusedincourthouses,theLensdidaneighbourhood-wideletterboxdropwithexamplesofthe
fraudulentsubpoenas,andwaystocontacttheLensifthey'dbeenaffected.Theresultofthe
initiativewasthreefold:itresultedinanewwaveoftipscominginforjournalists,butalso
communicatedtothecommunitythattheLenswasanactiveplayerontheirbehalf-andallowed
themtoraisetheirprofilewithinlowersocio-economicandmoreethnicallydiverse
neighbourhoodswheretheylackedvisibilityandbrandpenetration.TheSubpoenainvestigation
illustrateshowmutuallybeneficialopenlinesofcommunicationbetweenjournalistsandaudience
are,andhowtheycanassistinbuildingtrustwithcommunities.
Speaker’sBureaus
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TheLenshasalsoimplementedaLensSpeaker’sBureau,wherebytheyrentoutjournalistsor
editorstospeakatpubliceventsabouttheirareasofexpertise.Thismethodofraisingrevenuewas
alsopracticedbyDeCorrespondent,andmultipleothernonprofitnewsroomsacrosstheUSA.
Again,thepurposeofthepracticeistwofold:itbringsinsomeadditionalrevenuefortheoutlet,but
alsogivesjournalistspublicprofileandvisibilitywithinthecommunity.
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Solvingtheproblemoflocal:StateModelsandContentAgreementsMembership-modelnewsroomsleanoneoftwoways:theyaresustainedpartlybylargephilanthropicdonors,suchastheKnightCentreandDemocracyFund,whichrecogniselocaljournalismasapublicgoodandfunditaccordingly.Or,whereprimarilymember-drivenlikeProPublicaandDeCorrespondent,theytendtoprovidea‘prestige'offeringofhigh-profile,nationallysignificantcommentaryandinvestigations.Neitherofthosesolvesalloftheprimaryproblemsthisreportseekstoaddress,ofsustaininglocalpublicinterestjournalisminNewZealand.TheenvironmentinAotearoaislargelybig-donor-free;andprestigejournalismoutletsdon'tcompletethekindofhyperlocal,onthegroundreportingthatisdisappearingfromNewZealand'sjournalismenvironment.
CaseStudy:LocalGovernmentReporterServiceAtaglance:● TheLocalDemocracyReportersschemeemploys150journalistsacrosstheUnited
Kingdom.● Therolesarepubliclyfunded,viatheBBC.● Eachreporterisemployedbyanewsorganisation,inabidtofosterongoingcompetition
betweenexistingnewsoutlets.● Theschemecostsatotalof£8million[NZ$15.2million]peryear.● ReportingproducedbythejournalistsispublishedbytheoutletandsharedwiththeBBC.
Followingpublication,itisalsosharedwitharound700otherpublishersbelongingtothescheme,whocanrepublishitastheyplease.
In2014,theBBCannounceditwouldbecreatingakindofhyperlocal-focusedwireservice.Thepilotproject,whichlaunchedattheendof2017,willemploy150localdemocracyreporters,fundedcentrallybytheBBC,tocoverpublicinterestlocalgovernmentandpublicofficestories.Thereporterswillbehostedby“bidding”newsorganisations,whomustdemonstratethattheyhaveacommittedtrackrecordforstronglocalcoverage.Thereporters’coverage,oncepublished,willbesharedwithhundredsofothermediaorganisationswhoaremembersoftheserviceprogramme.
26
Thegoalsoftheschemearetwofold:tosustainlocalreporting,followingresearchintheUKwhichdemonstratedthemajorityoflocaltitlesrecordedfallingyear-on-yearsalesin2016;andtoincreasethereachandlocalpresenceoftheBBC,whichotherwisetendedtobecentralised."WebelievetheLDRswillhelpdriveupboththequalityandquantityoflocaldemocraticreportingandwillhelpsupportlocalnewsorganisations.Butweareclearthattheyarenotasolutiontothefinancialchallengesfacedbysomepartsofthesector.TheintentionistoenrichlocaljournalismforBBCaudiences,butinawaywhichtapsintothesector'sexpertiseandsharesthefruitsofthatpartnershipaswidelyaspossible,"saysMatthewBarraclough,editoroftheBBCJournalismWorkingGroup.Partnershipfocused:theserviceisapartnershipbetweentheBBC(publiclyfunded)andlocalnewsbodies(primarilyprivate).Theserviceaimstoseebothpartiescontributing:theBBCprovidesfinancialsupportforthereporters'salaries,aswellasasystemforcentraliseddistributionandasinglesetofeditorialstandards.They'realsoestablishing"NewsBank,"whichsharesBBCaudioandvideowithlocalnewsproviderstohelpillustratetheironlinejournalism.Thepartnernewsroomsareexpectedtocontributelocalknowledge,expertise,andcontexttotheinitiative,byhostingthereportersasmembersoftheirnewsroomteams.WhilethelocaldemocracyreportersarefundedbytheBBC,they'renotBBCemployees-rather,they'retheemployeesoftheirhostnewsorganisations.ItisworthnotingthattheLDRschemehasnotbeenwithoutheftycriticismandcontroversyintheUK.Concernsabouttheschemeincludethatitmayallownewsroomstocutexisting,experiencedlocalgovernmentreporterjobsandrelyonthefundedreporters-notincreasingreporternumbersoverall-andthatthebureaucracyassociatedwiththebiddingprocessexcludessmallernewsrooms,meaningthatalargenumberofcontractshavebeenawardedtolarge,for-profitmediacompaniesratherthansmall,hyperlocalplayers.
LocalApplications
PossibilitiesforaLocalDemocracyWireService
“RNZiscommittedtomakingitscontentavailabletoasmanyaudiencesaspossiblethroughawiderangeofplatforms.Wewilldelivercontentwherever,howeverandwheneveraudienceschoosetoreceiveit.”
- GlenScanlon,RadioNewZealand
TheLocalDemocracyReportersServiceisonemodelwithstrongpotentialfordirectapplicationin
NewZealand.
27
Inrecentyears,followingthedigitalexpansionofRNZundercurrentchiefexecutivePaulThomson,
RNZhasbeddedinastrategythat,whilenotovert,hasoverlappingfeatureswiththeLDR.RNZhas
establishedcontentsharingrelationshipsnowwith14mediaorganisations,includingStuff.co.nz,
IndianNewslink,Noted,Scoop,andTeWhakaruruhauONgāReoIrirangiMāori.
HeadofDigitalGlenScanlonsaidwhentheScooppartnershipwasannouncedin2018thatRNZ,
"wanttobeahelpfulpartnerbycollaboratingwitharangeofmediapartners".Hegoeson:
"Content-sharingagreementsbroadenthereachforindependentjournalisminahighlycompetitive
mediaenvironmentandwebelievethesekindsofdealsenhanceourpublicmediaroleandhelp
meetourchartercommitmentsbygettingqualitycontentinfrontofnewaudiences."
Scanlonhassaidthecompanywould“expecttoannouncemorepartnershipsinfuture”.
In2016,anewmemorandumofunderstandingestablishedarelationshipwherethe21Māoriradio
stationswhichmakeupTeWhakaruruhaugotaccesstoRNZ'sprogrammingandjournalism,as
wellasworkingwiththeRNZnewsteamtocoverMāoristoriesinamorecollaborativeway.Asof
yet,RNZ’scontentsharingagreementshaven’thadanexplicitfocusonprovidinglocal-democracy,
hyperlocalorcommunityreporters.Butwithfurthercutsoccurringatsmall-scalemediaoutlets,
plusthepromiseof$38millionnextyearforRNZandNewZealandonAirfromLabour’s
broadcastingbudget,it’sastrongpossibility.
Labour’sBroadcastingandMediaManifestofrom2017makeslittlementionofhyperlocalor
regionalmodelsspecificallyandseemsmorefocusedonbuildingRNZupasamultimediaplatform
inandofitself,ratherthandevelopingthekindsof‘wireservice'models.OnNewZealandonAir,it
notesthatthefindershouldaimtocreate"sustainablemodelsforregionalandcommunityaccess
mediainrespecttosupportingtheircontent,distributionanddiscovery".
ItwouldnotbeanygreatstretchforRNZorNZOAtoimplementalocaldemocracyreporters
schemeiftheallocatedfundingwasavailable.Bothentitieshavetrackrecordsofsharingtheirown
fundedpublic-interestreportingwithmultiplecommercialoutlets.
Commercialmediahas,untilnow,providedthemajorityofhyperlocalreportingbywayoflocaland
communityoutlets.Therecentcuts,atStuffinparticular,indicatethatthatmaysoonceasetobethe
case.
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SolvingtheProblemofSurfaceArea:Databases,ResurfacingandWikiModels
Theinternetisaplaygrounddominatedbymonoliths.Sohow,inanagewhereinformation
exchangehasshiftedonline,canthesmallplayersmaintainvisibility?
Thelargestdigital“frontpages”oftheinternet,FacebookandGoogle,arealgorithm-drivenrather
thaneditoriallyselected.Newsreportssurfacedbytheinternetgiantsareselectedfortheir
potentialreach-andasaresult,oftentheirshockvalueandclickability.Aswellasstoriesof
nationalsignificance,theybynaturerewardoddity,extremes,andtheunusual.Inthisenvironment,
it’sincreasinglydifficultforday-to-daylocalreportingtoriseoutoftheseaofaccumulatedcontent
onlineandmaterialiseinfrontofviewers.
Intermsofthebiggerplayers,thatmaychangeslightly:MarkZuckerbergsaidina2018statement
thatFacebook,evenasitbegandecreasingtheamountofnewsoverallappearinginnewsfeeds,
wouldbeincreasingthepresenceoflocalpublishers.“Peopleconsistentlytellustheywanttosee
morelocalnewsonFacebook,”hesays.“Localnewshelpsusunderstandtheissuesthatmatterin
ourcommunitiesandaffectourlives.Researchsuggeststhatreadinglocalnewsisdirectly
correlatedwithcivicengagement.Peoplewhoknowwhat'shappeningaroundthemaremorelikely
togetinvolvedandhelpmakeadifference.”
Facebook’sstatementdefineslocalpublishersas“thosewhoselinksareclickedonbyreadersina
tightgeographicarea,”andnotesthattheyarealsotestingadedicatedsection,ortab,onFacebook
thatconnectspeopletonewsandinformationintheirlocalcommunity:TodayIn.Thecompanyis
currentlytesting‘TodayIn’insixcitiesacrosstheUnitedStates,withplanstoexpand.Whilethe
changesatFacebookarehopefulforlocalreporting,publishersknowit’sriskytorelyonthewhims
ofMarkZuckerbergtosustaintheirpresenceinfrontofreaders.
Thatsameproblemofsurfacinglocalcontentalsoappliestonationaldigitalmediaandjournalism
outlets.ComparethestructureofcentralisednewswebsitesStuff.co.nzorTheNewZealandHerald
totheirpreceding,newspaper-basedmodels.Thenetworkofnewspaperoutlets,manyofwhichare
geographically-focused,providesmultiplepointsofaccessfordifferentcommunitiestobeexposed
toandaccesslocalreporting.Bycontrast,nationalwebsites’keypointsofentryareasinglefront
page,wherelocalstoriesmustcompetewithnationalandinternationalreports.
29
AninternalmemofromStuffin2016,publishedbytheSpinoffhighlightedsomeoftheproblems
thatapproachpresentsforhyperlocalreporting.Thememo,outliningprioritiesforthemorning
newsmeetings,says:
“We’refocusingthemeetingonourtwobiggestpromotionalchannels:thehomepageand
Facebook.Soinsteadofusasking‘what’sgoingontoday?’We’dlikeyoutotelluswhatare
yourcontendersforFacebookandtheHomepage.”
Itgoesontooutlinesomestoriesthenationalhomepageeditorsarenotinterestedin,including
"Courtstories,particularlyproceduralappearances.Ongoingcasereviewsetccan'tgoon
socialbecauseofprejudicialriskandthey'realmostalwaysofnointeresttotheHP
[homepage].Follow-upsthatassumeknowledge.Veryfewpeoplefollowstoriesfromstartto
finish.Forstoriestobeshareabletheyneedtoassumepeoplearereadingthem/orwatching
videofortheveryfirsttime."
TheissuesofwhichstoriesdowellonFacebookandhomepageareobviouslynotuniquetoStuff,
andtheydonotmeanthatlocalreportingcan’torwon’tbedone-thememonotesthat“Localgovt
orcourtstories,forexample,ofcoursearen’tgoingtobeentirelyscrapped.It’sjustwemightneed
tobeabitmorecreativeinhowwetellthem.”-butitdoesmakethingsdifficult.
Thegreatstrengthoflocalreportingisincumulativeknowledge-asinglestoryonacouncil’svote
onwateruseisnotofgreatinterest,but10years’worthofcoverageisanintenselyvaluable
archive;forthepublic,forreporters;forofficials;forlawenforcementorlawyers;foranyonewith
aninterestindemocraticaccountabilityorpublicrecords.Inisolation,it’sinconsequential.
Cumulatively,it’shardtooverstateitsimportance.Sohowdooutletsmaketherelativetrivialities
oflocalreportingvaluableandlasting?
CaseStudy:TheNOLAMessenger
“Weneedtofindmorepermanentwaystoshareaccumulatedknowledgewiththe
community.”
- RobertMorris,Editor,MessengerAtaglance:
30
● UptownMessengerwaslaunchedin2010bynewspaperreporter,editorandjournalismlecturerRobertMorris
● Hisportfolionowconsistsoffourtitles:theNOLAMessenger,UptownMessenger,GentillyMessengerandMid-CityMessenger.
● The‘newspapers’existentirelyonline.
● Thefinancialmodelissustainedbyamixtureofadvertisingandcontributionsfromreaders.ITsprimaryrevenuesourceisonlineadvertising.
● Lowinfrastructurecostsmakethispossible-theMessengerstabledoesnotmaintainacentralisednewsroom.Reportersworkremotely,fromcafes,librariesorhome.Thesitesdonotproduceanyprintproducts,keepingset-upcostslow.
● Focusisonneighborhood-levelcrime,landuseissues,andthelocalschools–thingsthathaveadirectimpactonthelivesofresidentsoftheirareas.
● Atlastcount,theyemployed3full-timereportereditors,withonepart-timerandanumberoffreelancecontributors.
● TheMessengeroutletshaverepublishingpartnershipswithother,largermediaentities,toincreasetheirreporting’sreachandgrowtheiraudiences,aswellasbringinginasmallamountofrevenuesellingstories.
● Aswellasmoretraditional,outlet-basedwebsites,theMessengerisdevelopinganonlineWiki,asameansofincreasingthesurfaceareaofitsday-to-dayreporting.
“Iwasconvincedthatitwaspossibletodoit[localreporting]well,andtosustainit,”saysRobertMorrisoveranicedcoffeeinthebackroomofaNewOrleanscafe.
TheUptownMessengerwasestablishedin2010,makingitalong-gamerinthehyperlocalstartup
space.TheMessengerwasestablishedbyMorris,ajournalistandeditorwhobegantheoutlet
partlyoutoffrustrationseeinglegacynewspapershe’dworkedforstrippingtheresourcefrom
theirlocaloperations.
Workingatalarge,well-respectedcitypaperinSouthCarolina,hesawroundafterroundoflayoffs,
where“decisions[aboutrevenue]werebeingmadeontheoppositesideofthecontinent”.Morris
pitchedthenewspapertheideaoflaunchingaseriesofhyper-localdigitalbureaus,sothe
newspapercould“reclaim”someofthecommunitiesithadlargelyceasedtocoverasalargeoutlet
withshrinkingresources.Hiseditorrespondedthattheideawasagoodone,andshe’dactually
pitcheditseveralyearsearlier-buttheprospectiverevenuestreamsweretoosmallforcorporate
togreen-lightit.AndsoMorrisdecidedtodoithimself:hemovedtoNewOrleans,andthe
Messengerwasborn.
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Thesite’smissionistoprovide“neighbourhood-levelcoverageofgovernmentandpolitics,crime,
businessandcommunityevents.WewilltellthestoriesofUptownNewOrleansanditspeople
throughtraditionalarticlesandphotos,aswellasextensiveuseofthevideoandlive-bloggingmade
possiblebytheInternet.”
Theoutletsfocusonnewsthatisofimmediate,quality-of-lifeconcerntoresidentsofits
neighbourhoods,butwhichcouldbeconsideredtoosmallfryforcity-widepaperstocover.In
particular,hecitestheexamplesofcharterschoolgoverningbodies,andarmedrobberies-neither
ofwhichareconsideredworthyoftheresourcebylargeroutlets,butwhichhaveasignificant
ongoingimpactonthelivesofthecommunities.
TheMessengerhasbeenboostedaslargerNewOrleansnewspapers-suchastheTimes-Picayune-
shrunktheirprinteditionsandcutcirculationdays.Asonereaderwritesontheirwebsite:
“WiththerecentchangeintheTimes'circulationschedule,andtherisingcrimeinouruptown
neighbourhoods,thiswebsiteisbecomingincreasinglyimportant.Thankssomuchforallthe
hardworky'alldo,andmakingthisinfoavailable!”
TheMessengertitlesareunusualamongtheemergingmodelsinthatthey'resustainedbyonline
advertising-arevenuestreamdeemedunsustainablebymostnewmediastartups.Morrissaysthe
modelworksbecauseofitslow-startup-coststructure,andtheclose-knitrelationshipwiththelocal
community-andthus,localadvertisers.Headmitswagesaren'thigh,butsaysthemodelis
currentlycoveringitsowncostsandisdebtfree.
Asecond,andparticularlyunusualfeatureoftheNOLAMessengerisitsdevelopmentofa
neighbourhoodWikiasanewwayofpresentingreporting-asopposedtothetraditionalnews
storymodel.Justasnewspapersintheageofdigitalareconsideredanoutdatedmodeofdelivering
news,Morrissays,“Ifeelstronglythatournotionofarticlesasourprimaryworkproductis
outdatedaswell-Ithinkthenewsarticleisasmucharelicofapriortimeasaprintingpressis.”
Hegoeson:“Weneedtofindmorepermanentwaystoshareaccumulatedknowledgewiththe
community.”
ThesolutionMorrisisexperimentingwithisusingWikisoftware-thesamethatpowersWikipedia,
tocreateaconstantlygrowing,expansivearchiveoftheMessenger’scoverage,that’saccessibleina
moreimmediatewaytothecommunity,anddoesn’trequirethekindofpriorknowledgenecessary
32
forsearchinganarchive.Atpresent,they’vefocusedonWiki-ingtwomajorprojects:local
governmentbodyelections,andhomicidesinthearea.LikeaWikipediapage,thesystemcreates
pagesforindividualpeople,andevents,builtupoutofout-linkedMessengerarticles.
“Theconceptistoupdateitonesentenceatatime-thatcouldbeoverasinglecouncilcampaign,or
overareporter’s40-yearcareer.Thatreportingaccumulatesintoavastbankofinformation,”
Morrissays.
"Thesystemcanalsodrivecoverage,"hesays,"becausethefirstthingsthattendtojumpoutarethe
holesinit."Italsoconstructsyearsonsmall-scalelocalreportingintoalarger,farmoresignificant
bodyofaccumulatedtrendsandbigger-pictureoverviews.InthecaseoftheMessenger'sdatabase
oftheelections,forexample:"Thatwilloutliveanyindividualarticlethatwedo."
LocalApplicationsDatabase-FocusedReporting,andResurfacingArchives
NoteverylocalNewZealandoutletwouldbewilling-orable-toreconstructitsarchiveoflocal
reportingintoawiki.Buttheprincipleofsurfacingarchivescanbeappliedtoamultitudeof
projects.IntheUnitedStates,anumberofnewsroomsareturningtheirattentionfromindividual
newsstoriestodatabasesofreporting:asinglenetworkofinformationthatcanbeconstantly
updated,asopposedtoaseriesofindividualpiecesofcoveragethatdisappearoneaftertheother.
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OneexampleisFatalForce,TheWashingtonPost'sdatabaseofpoliceshootingswhichwas
launchedin2015.Forthreeyears,theWashingtonPosthascontinuedtobuildyear-on-year
databasescountingeverynationwidedeathbypoliceshooting.Theprojectaccomplishesanumber
ofthings:itcreatesadatasetthatisnotrecordedbyanysinglegovernmentbody.Bybringing
fragmentsoflocalcrimereportstogetheritisabletodriveitsowntrend-basedandbiggerpicture
reporting.Andittakeshundredsofsmall-scale,individuallyinsignificantreports(thestuffof
hyperlocalreporting)whichcumulativelycreateastoryofnationalimportance.Thereportson
individualdeathsfindsurfaceareawithinthecontextofthewholeproject-whereindividuallythey
mightbenewsoneday,gonethenext,whenpresentedincombinationtheyremainatthefront
pageoftheprojectindefinitely.Onalocallevel,Stuff'sFacesofInnocentsdatabaseworksalong
similarlinesandachievessimilargoals.
AdvertisingforHyperlocal
TheotherlessonfromtheNOLAMessengerisnottodismissadvertisingasapossibilityfor
sustainingthehyperlocalreportingprojects.Whilethetraditionaladvertisingmodelclearlyisn't
workingtosustainlargemediaentities,theMessengerdemonstratesthatitcanstillbeeffectivefor
small,nimble,andlocally-groundedoutlets.Hyperlocaloutletswhicharetrulygroundedintheir
communityhaveadistinctvalueofferingforlocaladvertisers,Morrissays-theyconnecttospecific
localaudiences,andalsoprovidereportingwhichisofinterestandvaluetothoselocalbusinesses.
Additionally,becauseofthereporters'closelinkstothecommunity,Morrissaysmanyadvertisers
alsofeelasenseofcivicdutyandconnectionwiththemissionofthejournalism-inawaythatthey
don'twithlarger,lessdirectly-engagedpapers.
PartneringwithLargerOutlets
AnotherkeyelementoftheMessenger’smodelispartnershipswithlarger,city-widebroadcasters,
toincreasedistributionandreaderawarenessoftheoutlet.Theycurrentlyhaveongoing
relationshipswithlocaltelevisionnetworkWWL-TV;aswellaslocalAfrican-AmericanRadio
networks,andprintoutletsTheAdvocateandGambit.Inthecaseofweborprint-based
publications,outletsrepublishingMessengerreportingpayforthearticles,providinganother
revenuestreamfortheorganisation,aswellasdeepeningthelocalisedreportingavailabletothose
larger,city-widepublishers.
Repackagingexistingreportingintohigh-valueproducts
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Theprinciplesofdatabasesandwikiscanalsobeappliedmorebroadly:viaprojectsthat
reconstituteaccumulatedday-to-dayreportingintosingle,highervalueproducts.Onerecentlocal
exampleofthisisStuffreporterMartinVanBeynen’sBlackHandspodcast.Thepodcastdidnot
requireadditionalreportingworkfromVanBeynen.Rather,itrepackagesseveralyearsofcrime
reportingintoasingle,re-accessibleproduct,muchasadatabaseorWikidoes.Asecondexample,
alsobyStuff,isHeartland,aninteractivedatabasethatcollatesadecadeofSouthIslandregional
reportingbyMikeCrean.
Perhapsmorebroadlystill,localoutletscanconsiderthequestionbehindMorris’thinking:“Ifeel
stronglythatournotionofarticlesasourprimaryworkproductisoutdatedaswell-Ithinkthe
newsarticleisasmucharelicofapriortimeasaprintingpressis.”Arethereothermodesof
communicatingjournalismtolocalaudiences,beyondthearticleformat?DatabasesandWikisare
onemethodfordoingso,buttheywillnotbetheonlyone.
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ConclusionTheoptionspresentedbytheUnitedStatesaremany.Butdowehaveahopeofimplementingthem
here?
NewZealandhasitsownsetofclearchallenges.Inmanyways,thepathforusisharderthanthe
UnitedStates.Wedonothaveanyofthelarge-scalephilanthropicbodieswhichsupport,orprovide
seedfunding,toahugenumberofthelocalpublicinterestnewsroomsacrossthecountry.We
suffer,too,fromeconomiesofscale:eveniftheyhavehighlyengagedmembersorsubscribers,it's
verydifficultforsmallcommunitiesinNewZealandtosustainanoutlet.Andjournalistshere,for
whateverreason,arenothighlythoughtof:ourlevelsoftrustintheprofessionaresomearesome
ofthelowestintheworld.Engagingthepublicenoughtobuildsustainablemembershipmodels,or
crowdfundingcampaigns,orevenpoliticaldrivestoincreasestatefunding,willrequireaswift
turnaroundofthoseperceptions.
Thiscomestotheheartoftheproblem:perhapsmorethananythingelse,NewZealandstillfacesa
reckoningaroundwhetheritwishestopreservelocalpublicinterestreportingatall.Thecutsto
localpapers,outlinedintheintroductiontothisreport,havesofarbeenmetwithasenseof
inevitabilityandaslightcollectiveshrug,ratherthananyhugepublicoutcry.Thebenefitsoflocal
reportingmayseemmanifestlyobvioustojournalistsandothermembersofthemediaindustry,
butitseemswehavesomewaytogoincommunicatingthistothebroaderpopulation.
Untiljournalistscanclearlyandconvincinglyarticulatetheirpurpose,andpreciselywhythey’re
necessarytothecommunitiestheyserve,buildinganyofthealternativemodelsstudiedinthis
reportwillbedifficult.Creatinganewpatchworkoffunctioning,sustainablelocalnewsprovidersis
possible:thecasestudiesoutlinedinthisreportshowitcanbedoneand,andthosemodelscanbe
sustained.Butdoingsorequireswill,andanappetitefromthepublic.
Manyofthesecasestudiesdealwiththatquestionasmuchastheydowiththemoreimmediate
questionofrevenuestreams:andtheyofferpathwaysforward.JournalistDavidFahrenthold
providesonemodelforbuildingdeepreadertrust,communicationandinvolvementonasmall
scale:throughasinglejournalist'smodeofinteractingwithhisfollowerbase.Others,likeDe
Correspondent,demonstratethatethoswritlarge:theycreateanentiremodelfocusedontrustand
membershipbuy-in.Intheopeningcasestudyofthisreport,theireditorisquoted:"Wedidn'ttalk
aboutjournalismor‘saveourjobs.Wealwaystalkedabouttheservicewewouldprovideto
readers."InaNewZealandcontext,itseemsvitalthatlocaloutletsbecomebetteratidentifying
36
preciselywhatthatserviceis,andcommunicatingthattotheirreaders.Asdiscussedinthecase
studies,theprinciplesofmembershipcanbeappliednotonlytoentireoutlets,buttoindividual
publicinterestprojectsbylargercommercialoradvertising-fundedoutlets.
Whilemembershipmodelscouldbeimplementedbylargermediacompaniesandstartupstofund
localgovernmentcoverageorlocality-specificinvestigativeprojects-andtohelpsolvebroader
problemsoftrustinNewZealandjournalism-ourrelativelysmallpopulationmeansthosemodels
areunlikelytobeacatch-allsolution,especiallyforsmall,rural,andcurrentlyunderserved-by-
mediacommunities.Insomeofthosecommunities,advertisingmaystillprovethemostsustainable
model.TheMessengerinNewOrleansillustrateshowit’spossibleforsmall,nimble,low-
infrastructurenewsoutletstocovertheircostswithadvertising.EditorRobertMorrisarguesthat
hyperlocalreportinghasspecificappealtolocalbusinesseslookingtoadvertise,andmayevenbe
anadvantagetothemoverlargerplayers.HereinNewZealand,titlesliketheWestportNewshave
beenboughtbackbylocalfamilies,andinthecomingyearscouldpresentnewmodelsfor
sustainingatraditionallocalnewspaperwithoutalargemediaconglomerateintheback-end.And
asFairfaxoffersupitssmallertitlesforsale,it’spossiblesomecouldbeboughtbysmallerprivate
players,co-operativesorcommunitymembersandreturntothis-ahyperlocalcommercialmodel
thatcanworkonasmallerscale.
Intermsoflarger-scalesolutions,IbelieveoneofthekeymodelstoforNewZealandtoconsideris
theLocalDemocracyReporters.Themodelistheonlyoneinthisreportwhichwouldimmediately
establishanationwidenetworkoflocalreporters.Wearewellset-uptodoso:RNZprovidesan
existinginfrastructure,whichhasalreadybegundistributingitspublicinterestjournalismto
multiplecommercialoutfits.Awire-styleservicewouldbenefittheentireNewZealandmedia
ecosystem,ratherthatjustafewoutlets,andiftheydesire,NZpublisherscouldunitetolobbyforit.
Ifwidelydistributedthroughmultiplepublishers,suchasystemwouldbenefitallNewZealanders
withstrong,reliablecoveragetheircommunities-ratherthanjustimprovingthingsonlyforthe
fewwhoareabletomaintainmembership-basedoutlets.WhiletheUKmodelisentirely
governmentfundedviatheBBC,thereisalsotheoptionofsupplementingitwithsmall
subscription-basedfeestopublishers,inthestyleofolderwireservices.And,ifitwere
implementedinthenextfewyears,itcouldalsotakeadvantageoftheexistingregionallocal
reporterswhoarecurrentlyfacingthespectreofpapersalesandredundancy-andpreservesome
ofthatinstitutionalknowledgebeforeitdisappearsentirely.
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Thefutureoflocal,afterall,hasimplicationsforthefutureofallnationalpublic-servicejournalism
inNewZealand.Returningagaintotheopeningsectionsofthisreport,wehearthat,“that
relationship-betweenlocalcitizensandtheirlocalsourcesofinformation-istheprovingground
fortrust.That’swhereitstarts,that’swherepeople’srelationshiptojournalismbegins.”Ifwecan
find,createandsustainlocalpublicservicejournalisminourcommunities,itwillflowontohow
thosecommunitiesreceiveandsupportjournalismasawhole.