Findings

Here's something to ponder: Two new investigations into the future of news that couldn't be more different.  
 
1. Moving Into Multiple Business Models: Outlook for Newspaper Publishing in the Digital Age. This report authored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers asserts that newspapers must keep on reducing costs, increase outsourcing of "generic editorial" functions, further centralize newsrooms and ad salesforces and continue consolidating ownership while putting more emphasis on multi-platform publishing and marketing to niche audiences.

2. Saving the News: Toward a National Journalism Strategy. This report published by the media reform organization Freepress urges the U.S. government to recognize that preserving public-interest journalism is a pressing public policy issue that requires its intervention. It wants the government to introduce incentives that would encourage debt-laden media companies to divest themselves of news business assets while fostering the creation of non-profit, low-profit, community-owned and employee-owned news organizations. It also calls on the U.S. government to create a strong publicly funded news system similar to the Britain's BBC or Canada's CBC.

For the first time ever, the number of online journalists jailed last year exceeded than those working in print, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports. Of 125 journalists in jail worldwide as of Dec. 1, 2008, 55 worked online, 53 worked in print and 17 worked in broadcast media or film. China continues to be the world leader in jailing journalists - 28 journalists currently languish in Chinese jails.

Paid daily circulation increased slightly for many Canadian newspapers during the six months ended March 31, according to the latest report by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Circulation at the Montreal Gazette rose 13 per cent over the same period last year. However, circulation at the National Post dropped 20 per cent.

Local television stations provided more hours of weekday news last year despite cutting staff and reducing salaries, according to a study released at the annual Radio-Television News Directors Association convention. Member stations reduced staff levels by about 1,200 people (4.3 per cent) while average salaries declined by 13.3 per cent for reporters, 11.5 per cent for news anchors, 9.1 per cent for weathercasters and 8.9 per cent for sports anchors.