Four Thoughts On The Future Of Journalism And Publishing

If you thought the conversation around Journalism and the future of Publishing has become stale… you are sadly mistaken.

For some daily doses of insights on the passionate people trying to better dissect and inform the public on what has been happening (and changing) with Journalism and Publishing, do everything you can to follow Jeff Jarvis and Jay Rosen. If you’re just looking for some new thought and insights, here are four meaty pieces of content that are perfect reading and viewing over this weekend…

1. Richard Nash on Publishing.

2. The Huffington Post – The Pixelization of Journalism by Charles M. Firestone.

"The question arises, then, how will journalism, so necessary to our daily public and private lives, sustain itself? This is a broader question than sustaining any one journalistic organization or even type of distribution system. Though, some would argue with some credence that since newspapers have large experienced staffs with ingrained journalistic values, and have usually served as the news agenda setter for all media in a locality, they should be protected in some way."

3. Joshua Benton on Journalisms Digital Transition.

4. The New Yorker – Publish or Perish by Ken Auletta.

"The industry’s great hope was that the iPad would bring electronic books to the masses — and help make them profitable. E-books are booming. Although they account for only an estimated three to five per cent of the market, their sales increased a hundred and seventy-seven per cent in 2009, and it was projected that they would eventually account for between twenty-five and fifty per cent of all books sold. But publishers were concerned that lower prices would decimate their profits. Amazon had been buying many e-books from publishers for about thirteen dollars and selling them for $9.99, taking a loss on each book in order to gain market share and encourage sales of its electronic reading device, the Kindle. By the end of last year, Amazon accounted for an estimated eighty per cent of all electronic-book sales, and $9.99 seemed to be established as the price of an e-book. Publishers were panicked. David Young, the chairman and C.E.O. of Hachette Book Group USA, said, ‘The big concern — and it’s a massive concern — is the $9.99 pricing point. If it’s allowed to take hold in the consumer’s mind that a book is worth ten bucks, to my mind it’s game over for this business.’" (full disclosure: Hachette Book Group USA is the publisher of my business book, Six Pixels of Separation).

Added bonus! Ken Auletta appeared on Charlie Rose recently to discuss his article, Publish or Perish, and you can view the interview online here: Charlie Rose – Ken Auletta, The New Yorker – April 23rd, 2010.