Journalism Still Rising.

By purchasing The Washington Post, was Amazon’s Jeff Bezos signaling the revival of American journalism, perhaps a reversal of fortune? Fortune is likely too strong a word, but journalism is reemerging from the wake of the industry’s shake-up with serious journalism returning in new formats.

• Amidst The New York Times launching a number of new revenue streams, it’s also been reinventing delivery of news. NYT Now is a new app launched this year by the paper that took a solid look at how media could engage with readers in a compelling new way for today’s times. To start, the app greets you in a friendly, conversational manner—in the AM, it starts with a “Good Morning” and at the end of the day a “Good Evening.” The app also provides just the news the paper feels one needs for the day—it’s curated and condensed—especially important for those who need focus and need to catch up on the news quickly. When the app was first released, it was one of the top downloaded apps of the week.
• Non-profit journalistic ventures have been a trend over the last few years, and several more are being launched with specific topics of focus. By finding new funding sources, journalism can come back in new ways. Take for example the venture, The Marshall Project, being supported by Bill Keller, the former The New York Times executive editor, which will cover criminal justice topics, or ProPublica, launched by former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, Paul Steiger, which concentrates on investigative journalism.
• Long-form journalism is also making a comeback. In a talk at Yale this year, The New Yorker’s features editor, Daniel Zalewski, talked of the importance of long form journalism and why it keeps him at the magazine. Former The New York Times executive editor, Jill Abramson, is coming back on the scenes with a new venture that will publish one long form article a month for paying subscribers.

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Sources:

Anft, Michael. “Nonprofit News Site Focusing on Criminal Justice Draws Big Grant Makers’ Support,” The Chronicle of Philanthropy, November 17, 2014.

Byers, Dylan. “Jill Abramson’s startup to fund longform,” Politico, November 3, 2014.

“Innovate,” Fast Company, October 2014.

Kinsley, Michael. “The Front Page 2.0,” Vanity Fair, May 2014.

Schick, Finnegan. “New Yorker editor advocates for long-form journalism,” Yale News, November 14, 2014. http://yaledailynews.com/blog/2014/11/14/new-yorker-editor-advocates-for-long-form-journalism/