U.S. gov’t, foundation subsidies of news media attract criticism in Africa

GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa — African Journalists were critical today of reports that U.S. journalists receive subsidies and payments from foundations and the U.S. government. Two recent Annenberg reports were discussed at an annual media forum here, at the Highway Africa Conference 2010: "Public Policy and Funding the News" focuses on historic and current federal subsidies for news media. And "Philanthropic Foundations: Growing Funders of the News" is an analysis of increasing foundation support for American journalism…….

Presented at FTC: New players help strengthen news scene

Remarks prepared for delivery Dec. 1 at Federal Trade Commission workshop on "How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?" Today, anyone can aspire to be a news provider, and increasingly, people and organizations are deciding that's exactly what they want to be. It's this process — many voices instead of few — that is fundamentally transforming our news ecology. The new players come in all sizes and forms, including the traditional for-profit model. I'll focus here on nonprofits and also on non-news organizations that are quickly emerging as news producers. These newcomers are not making up for all the resources……

Targeted advertisements and online privacy

As Congress and the Federal Trade Commission seek enhanced online privacy protection, the news industry is exploring ways to use online information to turn a profit. Looking for ways to stay afloat in the face of lagging paper sales and ad revenue, some newspapers are seeking revenue lifelines from their online sites. The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) recently asked companies to present proposals on "paid content" solutions. The NAA's request itself indicates an interest in gaining reader information. One question asks whether proposed platforms can "provide an information barter environment with appropriate privacy and other protections (i.e. access to……