One of the greatest things about being a journalist is knowing other journalists, and I love the camaraderie and the way we can endlessly talk shop. But one thing I’ve become aware of by hanging out with writers almost exclusively is that I can’t really talk that much to them about [the process of] writing because I find it so fucking easy. One of my best friends, Grace Dent, who’s a columnist on [British daily paper] the Independent and also writes books, says, “It’s just like kicking a bag of shit around in front of you every day.” But I just find it so fucking joyful. My mouth salivates whenever I think about the next day’s work. I don’t find it difficult to shift between those gears at all. In fact, figuring out how I’m going to shift between those gears turns me on like a shag. But I would only say that to you, because if I was sitting in a room with a writer friend, they’d stand up and walk out after 30 seconds — they’ve done it before.
Critical Eye
06:50 AM - November 6, 2012
Q&A: Caitlin Moran tells it like it is
The foul-mouthed feminist’s new book comes out on Tuesday
#Realtalk: This isn’t another ‘golden age’ for print - But it is one for media
Social media in smaller markets - How three social media managers deal with smaller markets and more local coverage.
A rally for laid-off Sun-Times photogs - A protest Thursday morning drew about 150 picketers to the newspaper’s headquarters
Reporting, or illegal hacking - Scripps reporters are accused of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Exchange Watch: California Dreaming - Low healthcare premiums on the West Coast were trumpeted as a big, good-news Obamacare story. But: “Compared to what?”
The disappearance of ‘Sports of the Times’
We’re the Uber of organ transplants
“Millennials need organ transplants that fit easily into their always-connected lifestyles”
‘What part of “Politico” do you not understand?’
A conversation about the dark art of driving the conversation
Julian Assange’s asylum stalemate no nearer resolution one year on
The Ecuadorean embassy’s celebrity refugee is used to living in what Assange likens to a space station as he battles extradition
CJR’s panel discussion on coverage of gay marriage
On the eve of two related SCOTUS decisions, how should journalists be covering the issue?
CJR's Guide to Online News Startups
Uptown Messenger – Hyperlocal news for a neighborhood in New Orleans
Who Owns What
The Business of Digital Journalism
A report from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Questions and exercises for journalism students.
Caitlin Moran is correct in saying the "ecosystem of the media is changing." But there are some new digital business models, including our Montreal-based BestStory.ca, which is the only ad-free, long-form journalism site in the world with original stories and multiple photos.
Every article is professionally edited and laid out by an experienced graphic designer. It is a venue for writers who might not otherwise have a professionally-edited marketplace for long-form literary pieces with striking visuals.
Writers maintain copyright and moral rights, while earning 25% royalties on sales which they can track worldwide by chronology and geography, another unique aspect of our site. Our only source of revenue is the sale of each story to a reader for 40 cents via credit card on PayPal.
Once a story is bought, it can be read and re-read at any time from any web-enabled device in the world, including tablets and smart phones. Updates to stories bought by readers are free. Articles stay on the site forever and can be updated at any time, meaning they can continue to earn revenue indefinitely as new readers discover the site.
Like any new business model, this one will take time to develop in terms of fulfilling its potential as a revenue source for writers. Charging pennies per story is not a quick way to make money, but as the number of readers grows, so do the revenues.
And it is attractive to readers because it gives them the freedom to decide which articles they wish to purchase at a modest price without being tied to a subscription.
So instead of giving up because they can't find full-time media jobs which, as Caitlin points out, are difficult to come by, perhaps young journalists should consider themselves entrepreneurs, manufacturing (writing) an intellectual product (stories) which they can sell directly to members of the public on a story-by-story basis.
Although it is only cents per story, the potential paying audience is in the millions if journalists can produce high-quality, original articles that readers cannot find elsewhere.
The initial price of 40 cents could be increased once the site has proved its value equation to enough readers. But the first order of business is to gain market share by providing readers with an original, enjoyable literary experience.
I believe that good writers will eventually be rewarded financially on such a site, which emphasizes high quality journalism and graphics. It takes talent and patience, but there is a market for ad-free, long-form journalism among a growing readership with mobile devices.
#1 Posted by warren perley, CJR on Thu 8 Nov 2012 at 09:21 AM