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Media crisis and its structural causes

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Mark Eisenegger
Mark Eisenegger

The document discusses the structural causes of the crisis in information journalism. It finds that the quality of media coverage is decreasing across most media types due to declining resources. Structural factors like increasing consumption of low-quality media, advertising revenues favoring entertainment and non-media companies, media concentration, and business models focused more on non-journalistic activities are limiting the potential for information journalism to reinvent itself. External measures like financial support for editorial staff producing hard news and policies redirecting advertising money may be needed to help information journalism overcome the crisis.

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www.foeg.uzh.ch Mark Eisenegger / Kurt Imhof / Linards Udris Conference: Re-Inventing Journalism Winterthur, February 5, 2015 The limits of re-inventing journalism: structural causes of the crisis of information journalism
www.foeg.uzh.ch Starting point Crisis of information journalism (e.g. in terms of financial and human resources) Main question: Is it reasonable to hope for information journalism to 束re-invent損 itself on its own? Which structural conditions limit the self-healing potential of information journalism? Which 束external損 measures (media policy) are needed to help information journalism overcome the crisis? 06.02.20152
www.foeg.uzh.ch Outline Answering these questions by presenting selected findings from the project 束Yearbook Quality of the Media Schweiz Suisse Svizzera損 Since 2010, this research project has been capturing the fundamental change dynamics in the Swiss media system 1. Quality of media coverage in information media (media types from press, radio, television, online news sites) 2. Structural conditions for the quality of media coverage: Media use Revenue of information journalism Ownerhip structure and media concentration Business models 06.02.20153
www.foeg.uzh.ch Quality of media coverage
www.foeg.uzh.ch Quality indicators Main indicators Share of hard news (politics, economy, culture) vs. soft news (sports, human interest) Share of macro/meso framing (society/organizations) vs. micro framing (individuals/private affairs) Share of contextualizing news items (e.g. news analysis) vs. episodic news reporting (束breaking news損) Share of cognitive-rationalistic reporting vs. moralistic-emotional reporting Quality indicators are calculated, resulting in a statistical quality score (0: minimum / 10: maximum) Additional indicators in the 束Yearbook Quality of the Media損 Diversity of topics (media agendas) Diversity of actors (e.g. political parties) Share of content produced by editorial staff (vs. news agency reports and PR articles) Source transparency 06.02.20155
www.foeg.uzh.ch News coverage: Differences among media types, sinking quality 06.02.20156 Media types (e.g. subscription papers vs. cost-free papers) more important predictor for quality than media channel (e.g. press in general) Downwards trend in almost all media types mainly because of sinking contextualization and then because of shrinking hardnews Structural crisis (sinking resources) leads media to produce less background information (context) and to offer soft news which is easier and cheaper to produce Random sampling in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 (front-page and lead articles and news items)
www.foeg.uzh.ch Structural conditions
www.foeg.uzh.ch Media use: Increasing use of low-quality media at the expense of high-quality media 06.02.20158 Media of low quality, which offer mainly soft news, enjoy increasing use and advantage in the advertising market Media of high quality experience audience loss and sinking subscription and advertising revenue Media of low quality Media of high quality Index of media reach (2010: 100 for both types)
www.foeg.uzh.ch Media use: Soft news dominate media use in social media 06.02.20159 Low-quality outlets with most attention in social media For most outlets, soft news articles generate more attention than hard news If news organizations want to generate reactions and viral discussions in social media, they have to offer infotainment and soft news The more information journalism strives after attention in the social networks, the more important soft news becomes in the media arena 100 news articles with most attention in social media in 2013 (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, comments on news site) Source: themenpuls.ch; coding: f旦g/UZH Soft news Hard news
www.foeg.uzh.ch06.02.201510 Cost-free papers focusing on soft news benefit from disproportionally high advertising revenue Almost one in three Swiss francs generated in the press advertising market goes to 4 cost-free papers ( 7.2%), while 41 subscription papers share the rest ( 1.7%). 41 subscription papers 4 cost-free papers Press market: gross advertising revenue Source: Mediafocus Advertising revenue: low-quality press outlets benefit
www.foeg.uzh.ch Advertising revenue: TV programs focusing on soft news and entertainment benefit 06.02.201511 In the (growing) advertising market, foreign private broadcasters like RTL or M6 benefit the most Among Swiss private broadcasters, entertainment programs (e.g. 3+) generate much more revenue than regional private broadcasters with (some) public service obligation Private (foreign broadcasters with Swiss advertising windows) Public (SRG SSR) Private (Swiss) TV market: gross advertising revenue Source: Mediafocus
www.foeg.uzh.ch12 Most advertising revenue goes to non-media actors that do not produce substantial information (e.g. Google) Online information media (e.g. nzz.ch, tages- anzeiger.ch) generate only very little revenue Slight growth for news sites does not compensate for revenue loss in the press Advertising revenue: Online revenues go to organizations that do not produce substantial information Gross advertising revenue of news sites (display ads; estimate: 50% of all display ads go to news sites) and other providers (search engine ads, category ads like real estate, etc.) in Mio. CHF Source: Mediafocus 06.02.2015
www.foeg.uzh.ch Concentration: Media concentration and weakening of editorial staff 06.02.201513 Growing media concentration German-speaking Switzerland: more than a dozen publishing houses have disappeared or lost their independence since 2001 Media concentration goes in tandem with consolidation of newspapers (Kopfblattsystem) 束more of the same損 because of shared content Weakening of editorial staff (merger, lay-offs, 束brain drain損) Cooperation 束Bund損 and 束Tages-Anzeiger損 % shared articles in each section 3 full issues in 2013
www.foeg.uzh.ch Business models: Media organizations tend to focus more and more on non-media business fields 06.02.201514 Media organizations react to this crisis with investments in: A) low-quality journalism (attractive to advertisers) B) activities that have nothing do with information journalism (e.g. online directories) Online tools generate revenue but usually are not meant to subsidize information journalism Extract from the business report of Tamedia 2013
www.foeg.uzh.ch Business models: Journalistic norms eroding 06.02.201515 Information media react to financial difficulties with 束native advertising損, which blurs the distinction between journalism and advertisement/PR When journalistic norms of professionalism erode, journalism erodes from within
www.foeg.uzh.ch Business models: Decisions to (not) invest in hard news 06.02.201516 Example of private regional broadcasters: financial resources alone do not explain quality of news coverage Quality culture anchored in business model is important: media organizations have to be willing to produce high- quality journalism
www.foeg.uzh.ch Conclusions
www.foeg.uzh.ch Conclusions (1) In the current crisis, 束re-invention損 so far has only meant an ever-increasing importance of entertainment at the expense of high-quality media Serious doubt that information journalism of high quality can 束re-invent損 and 束heal損 itself on its own Possible 束external損 help (media policy) for instance: Financial aid for editorial departments that specialize on information journalism Implementation of an 束advertising tax損, as more money has been flowing to non-media providers (Google, Facebook), in order to support information journalism 06.02.201518
www.foeg.uzh.ch Conclusions (2) Strengthening media education (e.g. secondary schools) which shows that information journalism is essential for democratic societies and that information journalism has to be paid for Supporting independent organizations and actors that deal with media criticism and that intervene when journalistic norms are violated (e.g. in the context of 束native advertising損) 06.02.201519
www.foeg.uzh.ch Thank you for your attention!
www.foeg.uzh.ch Contacts: f旦g Research Institute for the Public Sphere and Society University of Zurich Andreasstrasse 15 CH-8050 Z端rich, Switzerland Tel.: +41 44 635 21 11 mark.eisenegger@foeg.uzh.ch kurt.imhof@foeg.uzh.ch linards.udris@foeg.uzh.ch www.foeg.uzh.ch

More Related Content

Media crisis and its structural causes

  • 1. www.foeg.uzh.ch Mark Eisenegger / Kurt Imhof / Linards Udris Conference: Re-Inventing Journalism Winterthur, February 5, 2015 The limits of re-inventing journalism: structural causes of the crisis of information journalism
  • 2. www.foeg.uzh.ch Starting point Crisis of information journalism (e.g. in terms of financial and human resources) Main question: Is it reasonable to hope for information journalism to 束re-invent損 itself on its own? Which structural conditions limit the self-healing potential of information journalism? Which 束external損 measures (media policy) are needed to help information journalism overcome the crisis? 06.02.20152
  • 3. www.foeg.uzh.ch Outline Answering these questions by presenting selected findings from the project 束Yearbook Quality of the Media Schweiz Suisse Svizzera損 Since 2010, this research project has been capturing the fundamental change dynamics in the Swiss media system 1. Quality of media coverage in information media (media types from press, radio, television, online news sites) 2. Structural conditions for the quality of media coverage: Media use Revenue of information journalism Ownerhip structure and media concentration Business models 06.02.20153
  • 5. www.foeg.uzh.ch Quality indicators Main indicators Share of hard news (politics, economy, culture) vs. soft news (sports, human interest) Share of macro/meso framing (society/organizations) vs. micro framing (individuals/private affairs) Share of contextualizing news items (e.g. news analysis) vs. episodic news reporting (束breaking news損) Share of cognitive-rationalistic reporting vs. moralistic-emotional reporting Quality indicators are calculated, resulting in a statistical quality score (0: minimum / 10: maximum) Additional indicators in the 束Yearbook Quality of the Media損 Diversity of topics (media agendas) Diversity of actors (e.g. political parties) Share of content produced by editorial staff (vs. news agency reports and PR articles) Source transparency 06.02.20155
  • 6. www.foeg.uzh.ch News coverage: Differences among media types, sinking quality 06.02.20156 Media types (e.g. subscription papers vs. cost-free papers) more important predictor for quality than media channel (e.g. press in general) Downwards trend in almost all media types mainly because of sinking contextualization and then because of shrinking hardnews Structural crisis (sinking resources) leads media to produce less background information (context) and to offer soft news which is easier and cheaper to produce Random sampling in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 (front-page and lead articles and news items)
  • 8. www.foeg.uzh.ch Media use: Increasing use of low-quality media at the expense of high-quality media 06.02.20158 Media of low quality, which offer mainly soft news, enjoy increasing use and advantage in the advertising market Media of high quality experience audience loss and sinking subscription and advertising revenue Media of low quality Media of high quality Index of media reach (2010: 100 for both types)
  • 9. www.foeg.uzh.ch Media use: Soft news dominate media use in social media 06.02.20159 Low-quality outlets with most attention in social media For most outlets, soft news articles generate more attention than hard news If news organizations want to generate reactions and viral discussions in social media, they have to offer infotainment and soft news The more information journalism strives after attention in the social networks, the more important soft news becomes in the media arena 100 news articles with most attention in social media in 2013 (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, comments on news site) Source: themenpuls.ch; coding: f旦g/UZH Soft news Hard news
  • 10. www.foeg.uzh.ch06.02.201510 Cost-free papers focusing on soft news benefit from disproportionally high advertising revenue Almost one in three Swiss francs generated in the press advertising market goes to 4 cost-free papers ( 7.2%), while 41 subscription papers share the rest ( 1.7%). 41 subscription papers 4 cost-free papers Press market: gross advertising revenue Source: Mediafocus Advertising revenue: low-quality press outlets benefit
  • 11. www.foeg.uzh.ch Advertising revenue: TV programs focusing on soft news and entertainment benefit 06.02.201511 In the (growing) advertising market, foreign private broadcasters like RTL or M6 benefit the most Among Swiss private broadcasters, entertainment programs (e.g. 3+) generate much more revenue than regional private broadcasters with (some) public service obligation Private (foreign broadcasters with Swiss advertising windows) Public (SRG SSR) Private (Swiss) TV market: gross advertising revenue Source: Mediafocus
  • 12. www.foeg.uzh.ch12 Most advertising revenue goes to non-media actors that do not produce substantial information (e.g. Google) Online information media (e.g. nzz.ch, tages- anzeiger.ch) generate only very little revenue Slight growth for news sites does not compensate for revenue loss in the press Advertising revenue: Online revenues go to organizations that do not produce substantial information Gross advertising revenue of news sites (display ads; estimate: 50% of all display ads go to news sites) and other providers (search engine ads, category ads like real estate, etc.) in Mio. CHF Source: Mediafocus 06.02.2015
  • 13. www.foeg.uzh.ch Concentration: Media concentration and weakening of editorial staff 06.02.201513 Growing media concentration German-speaking Switzerland: more than a dozen publishing houses have disappeared or lost their independence since 2001 Media concentration goes in tandem with consolidation of newspapers (Kopfblattsystem) 束more of the same損 because of shared content Weakening of editorial staff (merger, lay-offs, 束brain drain損) Cooperation 束Bund損 and 束Tages-Anzeiger損 % shared articles in each section 3 full issues in 2013
  • 14. www.foeg.uzh.ch Business models: Media organizations tend to focus more and more on non-media business fields 06.02.201514 Media organizations react to this crisis with investments in: A) low-quality journalism (attractive to advertisers) B) activities that have nothing do with information journalism (e.g. online directories) Online tools generate revenue but usually are not meant to subsidize information journalism Extract from the business report of Tamedia 2013
  • 15. www.foeg.uzh.ch Business models: Journalistic norms eroding 06.02.201515 Information media react to financial difficulties with 束native advertising損, which blurs the distinction between journalism and advertisement/PR When journalistic norms of professionalism erode, journalism erodes from within
  • 16. www.foeg.uzh.ch Business models: Decisions to (not) invest in hard news 06.02.201516 Example of private regional broadcasters: financial resources alone do not explain quality of news coverage Quality culture anchored in business model is important: media organizations have to be willing to produce high- quality journalism
  • 18. www.foeg.uzh.ch Conclusions (1) In the current crisis, 束re-invention損 so far has only meant an ever-increasing importance of entertainment at the expense of high-quality media Serious doubt that information journalism of high quality can 束re-invent損 and 束heal損 itself on its own Possible 束external損 help (media policy) for instance: Financial aid for editorial departments that specialize on information journalism Implementation of an 束advertising tax損, as more money has been flowing to non-media providers (Google, Facebook), in order to support information journalism 06.02.201518
  • 19. www.foeg.uzh.ch Conclusions (2) Strengthening media education (e.g. secondary schools) which shows that information journalism is essential for democratic societies and that information journalism has to be paid for Supporting independent organizations and actors that deal with media criticism and that intervene when journalistic norms are violated (e.g. in the context of 束native advertising損) 06.02.201519
  • 20. www.foeg.uzh.ch Thank you for your attention!
  • 21. www.foeg.uzh.ch Contacts: f旦g Research Institute for the Public Sphere and Society University of Zurich Andreasstrasse 15 CH-8050 Z端rich, Switzerland Tel.: +41 44 635 21 11 mark.eisenegger@foeg.uzh.ch kurt.imhof@foeg.uzh.ch linards.udris@foeg.uzh.ch www.foeg.uzh.ch

Editor's Notes

  • #7: 6
  • #9: 8
  • #10: 9
  • #11: 10
  • #12: 11
  • #14: Wegfallende Anbieter Letztes Jahr: Z端rcher Oberland Medien (vollst辰ndig durch Tamedia 端bernommen) Ziegler Drucks- und Verlags AG (Angebot f辰llt unter 0.5%) Ansonsten seit 2001 Prominent: Jean Frey (Jetzt Axel Springer Schweiz bzw. Weltwoche Verlags AG) Espace Media Group (bernahme Tamedia, Herausgeber Bernerzeitung) Edipresse (bernahme Tamedia) LZ Medienholding (bernahme NZZ) Oder etwas kleiner z.B. Vogt-Schild Medien AG (AZ Medien)
  • #15: Wegfallende Anbieter Letztes Jahr: Z端rcher Oberland Medien (vollst辰ndig durch Tamedia 端bernommen) Ziegler Drucks- und Verlags AG (Angebot f辰llt unter 0.5%) Ansonsten seit 2001 Prominent: Jean Frey (Jetzt Axel Springer Schweiz bzw. Weltwoche Verlags AG) Espace Media Group (bernahme Tamedia, Herausgeber Bernerzeitung) Edipresse (bernahme Tamedia) LZ Medienholding (bernahme NZZ) Oder etwas kleiner z.B. Vogt-Schild Medien AG (AZ Medien)
  • #16: Wegfallende Anbieter Letztes Jahr: Z端rcher Oberland Medien (vollst辰ndig durch Tamedia 端bernommen) Ziegler Drucks- und Verlags AG (Angebot f辰llt unter 0.5%) Ansonsten seit 2001 Prominent: Jean Frey (Jetzt Axel Springer Schweiz bzw. Weltwoche Verlags AG) Espace Media Group (bernahme Tamedia, Herausgeber Bernerzeitung) Edipresse (bernahme Tamedia) LZ Medienholding (bernahme NZZ) Oder etwas kleiner z.B. Vogt-Schild Medien AG (AZ Medien)