Independent Journalism in a Changing Media Landscape
Independent Journalism in a Changing Media Landscape
The Money Problem
Journalism as a Career
The Future of Journalism
Quick Facts
| Locally owned media are the exception |
| Hawaii Business Magazine and its sister magazines are locally owned |
Independent Journalism in a Changing Media Landscape
As I prepare to retire as editor-in-chief of Hawaii Business Magazine, I am filled with a mix of emotions. I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have done, providing accurate, useful, and timely information that has been fundamental to people’s lives and to democracy. At the same time, I worry about the future of our democracy and the future of good independent journalism, knowing that they are intimately connected.
I learned the value of journalism from my parents, who made time to read newspapers and watch TV news every day despite their busy working-class lives. They had escaped dictators, communism, and fascism in Europe and knew the importance of democracy for their present and their children’s future. Journalism was fundamental to that equation, and Watergate reinforced this lesson for me.
The Money Problem
The local news media faces numerous challenges, but money is at the heart of them all. Every organization depends on revenue, and for the news media, that means money from advertising, circulation, grants, donations, sponsors, or sugar daddies. The fact that local news media used to be owned by local residents who were among the richest people in town is a relic of the past. Today, it’s more common for local media owners to be based on the continent or to make their money in another field before buying or launching local media.
In Honolulu, for example, the two dailies had about 200 news staffers in the early 2000s. Today, the merged paper, the Star-Advertiser, has about 40 and is owned by Carpenter Media and its finance partners on the continent. Hawaii Business Magazine and its sister magazines are exceptions among widely distributed, for-profit local media, and we are proud to be locally owned. However, we are not flush with cash, and our reporting can be found in our print magazine and online, where it’s free for everyone. While this means more people read our stories, the web ads pay a fraction of a penny per view, which is unsustainable.
Journalism as a Career
For those in the trenches, journalism was never a path to affluence, but most jobs paid middle-class wages, making possible a decent family life with children. However, there are now fewer jobs, and the salaries of many no longer lead to a middle-class family life in Hawaii. This is why so many journalists have switched to careers in corporate and government communications and PR. The internet has provided more choices for where to get news, but it has also disrupted the business model of local news. Good reporting takes time, energy, and money, and usually involves explaining nuance and context. Simple lies can be created in a few seconds for free, and too many people prefer simple answers.
The Future of Journalism
I feel guilty about retiring when the future of American journalism and democracy are in such jeopardy. But age and exhaustion forced my hand, and I want to enjoy my life in Hawaii more. However, I will stay engaged, and I urge you to do the same. Good independent journalism matters more than ever, and it will not survive without the support of people like you.
Recent history here, on the mainland, and abroad proves that the health of democracy requires good independent journalism. We must invest our time and money in this vital institution. If you care about our democracy, please join me in supporting good independent journalism, both local and national.
