Endowed Journalism as the Future

Nila Horner

The Business of Communications

15 November 2015

Endowed Journalism as the Future

            When journalists are worried more about marketing a story than actually researching or writing that story, the quality of their work decreases. When journalists are made to majorly concern themselves with the business and financial ends of news publication, they cannot devote the time and energy required to create well-informed pieces for public consumption. When news outlets are splattered with branded and sponsored content, journalistic integrity and consumer trust is called into question. Nonprofit or endowed journalism has the potential to allow journalists to continue to provide unbiased, factual and important stories to the public as the most promising business model for a journalistic enterprise in the future.

News organizations are crucial to providing information to keep our nation running smoothly. Journalistic enterprises act as fact checkers to politicians and campaigns, whistleblowers to corporate scandals, and in a variety of other roles to positively serve the public. The American Press Institute reports on their website “the purpose of journalism is thus to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments” (par.3). By allowing news organizations to perform the tasks they were founded on, nonprofit and endowed news organizations encourage democratic and social responsibility.

            In a world full of click-bait, celebrity news and viral videos, nonprofit organizations focusing on the value of hard-hitting investigative and expository journalism could bring value back to the media industry. Cronkite News offered a summary of a recent FCC report that outlined the “Information Needs of Communities.” Cronkite News said, “The FCC report said democracy requires a healthy flow of useful information and a system that holds powerful institutions accountable. The most significant problem arising out of the digital revolution, it said, is the shortage of local, professional, accountability reporting, which can uncover problems such as government waste and local corruption” (par.14).  When corporations and news organizations combine, the possibilities for corruption are endless and as of now, rampant. A recent study conducted by the media company Contently found that over 50 percent of consumers did not trust content which was sponsored (Lazauskas, par. 3). If readers do not trust content, how can they view a news organization as reliable? By endowing institutions made specifically for the purpose of unbiased journalism, the function of news organizations could fully reach their potential in serving citizens quality journalism to keep our democracy in check.

            Experts agree that the field of journalism needs innovation in these financially unstable times. Many independent papers are going under, and even big names in journalism are struggling to compete with new business models. On a hopeful note, organizations like ProPublica have shown us that nonprofit journalism is viable. In an interview with Business Insider, ProPublica Editor-in-Chief Stephen Engelberg said, "We look at this as what you might call a public good – much like the symphony or the ballet. The free market will not produce an optimum amount of investigative reporting” (par.4). In harnessing the missions of true journalism, ProPublica has shown the world that nonprofit journalism enterprises can be successful.

If journalistic enterprises were able to freely investigate worldly issues without having to rely on finance from corporate sponsors expecting advertising rights, fluff news and branded content would not have to be such a large part of the media company’s business plans. Fluff news is fun, but what good does it do for society? If news organizations were properly funded by philanthropic or governmental agencies, then news companies could do what they claim to be on a mission to do and contribute positively to society without having to rely on fluff pieces or native advertising.

In learning about the consumer trust issues that arise with native advertising and branded content, the staffing problems that occur when traditional news organizations are strapped for finances, and the degradation of hard-hitting journalism as a result of fluff journalism and funding through corporate sponsors, nonprofit journalism enterprises are the most promising business model to uphold the benefits of news reporting in this nation. While nonprofit journalism enterprises must overcome many hurdles, including grant funding and philanthropic endowments, investigative journalism and stories that promote societal well being and expository information should be reported by nonprofit organizations to reduce bias and remain ethical.

 Works Cited

Lazauskas, Joe. "The Problems Facing Native Advertising, in 5 Charts." The Content Strategist The Problems Facing Native Advertising in 5 Charts Comments. Contently, 16 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <https://contently.com/strategist/2015/09/16/the-problems-facing-native-advertising-in-5-charts/>.

Nawaguna-Clemente, Elvina. "FCC Official: Fluff Journalism, Reduced Investigations Hurting U.S. Democracy." Cronkite News. N.p., 3 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2011/10/federal-communications-commissio-official-investigative-journalism-on-life-support-democracy-suffering-because-of-it/>.

Wei, Will. "How ProPublica Is Redefining The Journalism Industry." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/propublica-non-profit-investigative-news-2013-3>.

"What Is the Purpose of Journalism? - American Press Institute." American Press Institute RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/purpose-journalism/>.

"What Is the Purpose of Journalism? - American Press Institute." American Press Institute RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/journalism-essentials/what-is-journalism/purpose-journalism/>.