News for Social Change: Media’s Emerging Value Proposition

Hosted by Ashoka

How can quality news media be sustained? Because of tectonic technological and cultural shifts, more information is now available to more people at lower cost than ever before. That is, per se, a massively democratizing phenomenon. But it has also undermined the traditional business models that have, in many parts of the world, ensured a free and fair press.

Tomorrow’s news organizations cannot survive simply by reporting and distributing information. Instead they will thrive by moving to higher-value activities, such as helping people to advance their lives, engage powerfully in their communities and society - and, ultimately, bring about change. Sustainability will hinge on creating critical linkages between sense-making and action, between media and movement.

That means journalists must investigate potential solutions in addition to exposing underlying problems. Publishers must connect knowledge to participation, create communities of problem-solvers, and turn readers into change-makers. A truly engaged audience will yield both social impact and higher economic value.

Such a shift requires news organizations to reconsider the role of journalists - who historically have uncovered the facts and rooted out truth, but have intentionally distanced themselves from whatever happened as a result. Editors will participate in "downstream" activities that link them to community needs and social solutions. Advertisers and sponsors will pay for evidence of engagement and social impact, not just page views. And investors, as well, will consider new metrics that gauge a publisher's ability to catalyze change.

This session will explore emerging solutions for media sustainability, focusing on the valuable linkages between knowledge and activation. Panelists will include social entrepreneurs who are attacking this new paradigm head-on, confronting the tension between audience engagement and conventional journalistic values and weighing the balance between social and financial impact.

Moderation:

Hammonds, Keith
Founding Director of Ashoka’s News & Knowledge Initiative, New York, USA

Panelists:

Glenewinkel, Klaas
Founder and Managing Director of Media in Cooperation and Transition, Berlin, Germany

Kothari, Nihar
Managing Director and Executive Editor, Patrika, Jaipur, India

Redmer, Jens
Director Business Development Google EMEA, Hambug, Germany

Vucinic, Sasa
Founder of IndieVoices, Singapore

Complete Workshop on soundcloud:
WS06 - News for Social Change: Media’s Emerging Value Proposition