survey: managing change in journalism. © andreas k. bittner, april 2011
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Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Managing Change – Overview
What change? – A short case study Changing environment The Survey – step by step Ready for Change? Discussion
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Too much change?
The case of Frankfurter Rundschau 1946 - 2013(?)
Federal State Financial Guarantee (2003) – Saved from Insolvency through Political
Party Media Holding (2004) – Consultants reduce staff from 1.650 to less than 1.000
people – Traditional Headquarters sold – Stylish new Headquarter / Newsroom –
Relaunch – Changing Chief Editor – E-Paper – New Majority Stakeholder: Traditional
Publishing House – Changing to Tabloid format – Re-Design – Re-Re-Design - Re-
structuring local newsdesks – Higher subscription price – Closer cooperation with sister
publications (Berlin, Cologne, Halle)– Ad Revenue -20,3 % (2009) – regional online ad
website – Syndication with three dailies from same publisher – Pool of journalist – Staff
agreement / no holiday or christmas bonus – More lay-offs – Reduction of local editions
(5 to 3, changed again 2010) – Social Media - iPad – Reporter pool with sister
publications – more losses 24,5 Mio. € (2009), approx. 19 Mio. € (2010) – „structural
losses“ 10 Mio. € (2011 – 13) – Readers -30 % in 10 years – another 18 months lefts?
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Tabloid Format
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
App Economy
(probably) the best App from a German newspaper 79 cent / day marketing still difficult
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Staff
2000 1.650 employees (Publishing / Printing)2004 1.110 employees (new owner)2006 730 employees (new majority stakeholder)2009 540 employees (ad revenue – 20%)2010 190 employees* mid2011 150 employees**
* 30 outsourced journalist in „Press Service“ (no collective agreement) 40 outsourced employees „Publishing Service“ (production, no collective agreement)
** 90 journalist in three different companies (Berlin, Frankfurt, Online - no collective agreement)
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
2001 - 11
Sales (End of quarter) 2001 - 2011
190.813
122.000
0
40.000
80.000
120.000
160.000
200.000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Copies soldSales
Subscriptions (End of quarter) 2001 - 2011
120.958
72.016
0
20.000
40.000
60.000
80.000
100.000
120.000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Subscriptions
Total copies sold –36%Subscriptions –24%Newsstand –55%
Source: IVW
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
German Unions
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
"Dollars always follow eyeballs"
Online ad revenues 2010Double-digit growthLeaving traditional media behind
Online 26,0 Billion Dollar Newspapers 22,8 Billion Dollar Cable TV newtorks 22,5 Billion Dollar Broadcast TV netw. 17,6 Billion Dollar Radio 15,3 Billion Dollar Mobile (iPhone, iPad ...) 550 - 650 Mio. Dollar
Online ads+ 24% display ads (banners, digital video; market share 38%+ 12 % search (text ads); market share 46%
(Figures for USA; Source Interactive Advertising Bureau, IAB, 2011)
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
ProPublica Pulitzer
Pulitzer Price (2010, 2011) Investigative Journalism Founded 2007 (Herb+ Marion Sandler) Funding 10 Mio. Dollar/ year 32 journalists (paid above average)
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
What‘s Changing? Who‘s Changing?
The Market ? The Journalist / Skills? Workplace ? Quality? The (traditional) Publisher (turning controller)? The Reader (User, Audience) ? The Technology (Plattform, Channel) ? The Unions? Ad revenues? Profits? Margins? Journalism? Communication Process (Social Media)
SPEED?
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
What‘s Changing? Who‘s Changing?
Everything with an incredible SPEED.
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Change or Media Revolution?
Everything with an incredible SPEED.
„Media revolution? ... I believe this is a historically unfavourable phase for unflexible journalists?“
Sascha Lobo, German Blogger, Social Media Consultant
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Survey (6 Questions, March April 2011)
Response
22 EFJ members from 18 countries participatingRepresenting approx. 85 % of EFJ membership – but very few SEE countries
Membership
all organising employed journalist
almost all organising freelance journalist
most organise photographers
about half accept members from public relations and communications
many organise students, retired or jobless journalists ...
and a wide spectrum of other media workers ...
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Wide spectrum – something with media?
Some examples (professional) bloggers Archivars, documentarist All technical jobs (layouter, cutter, info graphics) Presenters, promoters, speakers, ... All PR jobs Cartoonists Camera men (and women) Book editors Professors (of journalism) collaborati (= paid part time local journalists) Fashion potographers TV producers Computer game desigers
... and a really wide spectrumall studentsall employees in media houses
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Wide spectrum – something with media?
Different approaches
Full-time, part-time (but professional), anything with media
Presscard or membership card
Registered professional journalists in news media
„Berufsregister“ (special professional register)
No active / passive voting rights
Restriction for certain services
Change? Open membership to all media, differentiate „core journalist members“ and other members – different rights, different services Questions: Solidarity, complexity, union character. adequate „just“ fees?
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Fee systems – quite uniform
Question 1.1
Fees ranging from 0 € to 670 € p.a.
Smaller unions often make no difference
Many unions take a percentage from salary / income ( 1% - 1,6%)
Many unions have reductions for students, retired journalists ...
Some with two-layered fee system (uniform national / different regional fee)
One union gives 25 % discount if annual fee is paid by Januar 31st
Change? As membership is getting more and more diverse and expected services are more specialised - should there be a more differentiating fee system? Questions: Solidarity, complexity
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Service – quite the same for everybody
Question 1.2
Most unions do not make a difference
Exceptions: for students, retired journalists ...
Exception: Press card / legal assistance
One union asked: Why service?
Change: Balance between union, assocation, lobby organisation? Shift towards more targeted services? Future Profile?
Change: Membership is getting more diverse, jobs and qualifications are very different, service needs (and expectations) are different – more diversification, member orientation, more community and online services
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Less time, less pay, more work, multi media
Question 2.1
General pessimistic, impression of lower respect for journalistic work, lower estimation for journalists / quality journalism, notion of de-valuation of journalist; potential conflicts
established journalists vs. newcomers / starters
employed vs. freelances (fees: race to the bottom)
speed vs. quality
many specific answers for different media / countries
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Less time, less pay, more work, multi media
Question 2.1
Reduction of staff, higher „density“ of work, unpaid extra-hours
Erosion of payment and social standards
Stop of bargaining ord collective agreements (for years)
Journalists and other media employees with same contract
New forms of cooperation, outsourcing and fragmentation
New forms of cooperation in newsrooms
„Voluntary“ work in Social Media (comment, blog, tweet ....)
Use and misuse of temporary work
Online: difficult border between journalistic and technical tasks
„Journalists lost their old VIP-Status“
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Not much for new members
Question 2.2
Most unions do not have any special offers for new members
Some give them some reading material
Some rely on their website
Few have special workshops, meetings or activities
Nobody mentions social media / communities
Change? targeted offers and activities for new members, mentoring programmes, networking
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
No clear picture employed & freelances
Question 2.3
Growing number of freelancers (about 50% of membership?)
Majority sees (some) problems
Few see huge problems – even „clashes“
Some expect ongoing good relations
Many mention financial aspects
Change? Mapping needed (know your membership statistics, know your members better), create opportunities (seminars) for exchange between employed & freelance journalistsChange internal structures to serve growing number of freelances
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Membership criteria mainly unchanged
Question 3.1
Hardly any changes (in theory)
Comparison with the „wide spectrum“ mentioned under
Some minor changes (to attract more members)
Change: Mapping needed: identify new forms of journalism; What profile? Danger of losing members to „specialised assocations“ ... photographers, freelances, etc.
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Recruitment– room for improvement
Question 3.2
Large differences across Europe
One or more unions in a country? Restricted membership?
High degree of organisation – like in Nordic countries
Sucees mainly with face-to-face contact (universities, seminars)
Many unions with no special programmes, budgets, activities
Some rely on a popular website (NUJ) oder community (NJV)
Some with trial membership / membership discount
Change? more action and best practice needed, but remains largely a national issue
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
On training and seminars
Question 3.3
Many, but not all unions offer training
Many have „traditional“ manuals
Some have their own „Academy“; some cooperate with training instititutions
Very wide spectrum of activities- professional seminar- personal skills- entrepreneurial skills / start up- training for union work (work coincil ...)- mentoring
Question of paid oder unpaid training was not asked
Change? New forms of online training and webinars, „Universalcode“ collaborative manual, chapters discussed online
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Other benefits: large variety
Question 3.3
Legal assistance
Special insurabce packages (sometimes included in membership fee)
Pre-financing
Discounts and special offers (Software, Travel, Mobile Phones, Insurance)
(some unions with own „Service Company“)
Holiday ressorts and appartments
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Collective Bargaining & Strike
Question 4.1
Traditional approaches and issues change fast (multimedia, crossmedia)
Collective bargaining gets harder and takes longer (sometimes for years)
In some countries no more bargaining or agreements
In some countries there is no counterpart
Fewer journalists fall under agreements (outsourcing, temporary work)
Trend from national agreements to staff agreements
Trend from staff agreemenst to individual contracts
Development? Established journalists stick to their status 8and keep calm)
Development? Younger journalists are difficult to mobilise
Getting more difficult to have common goals (fragmentation, expectations)
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Collective Bargaining & Strike
Question 4.1
Some stress the right to strike
Some countries: Strike is still an option, the last option
Technological development makes strike difficult
„production stop“ sometimes unnoticed by the reader / user / audience
Trend: Internet and mediahouse –production stop is rarely an option
Most unions demand / practice new forms of activities (protest meeting)
Media hardly cover the activities (Italy: media have to publish)
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Flash Mob – Campaigns on YouTube)
Actions and Events – to „make news, produce pictures“ to get coverage
Appeals to the public – Journalism as a public good / VIP testimonials
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Beyond Collective Bargaining & Strike
Change? The challenge is to transform the journalists‘ rage and fears into
new activities – beyond strike.
Increasingly difficult because the number of members gets smaller, their
engagement and potential for mobilisation diminishes.
Best practices exchange of small, „guerilla“-like activities.
New ways of informing freelances and younger journalists about union work,
solidarity ...
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Onliner, freelances
Question 4.2
Online journalists (often) covered by agreements in large media companies
Online journalists often in outsourced companies; treated as technical staff
Online journalists as entrepreuneurs - > individual contracts
Long working hours (hardly any rules)
„voluntary work“ in Social Media expected
Change? no standards, online journalists manly have the same problems as freelances and are even more difficult to mobilise
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Training & collective agreements
Question 5.1
Of course: deesirable, many unions with no real (positive) answers
Existent in only a few countries (Italy, Norway)
Depends very much on single media houses
Mainly on the job training
No long term stragegies (personal development, staff development)
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Training demands (for the future)
Question 5.2
„Every member should have the necessary training for his/her job, as well as recurrent further training.“
Many unions did not answer this question
Not surprising
No clear definition of multi-media, cross-media, social media, even „online“
Some fear „de-skilling“
Change: Define terms first, than trainings needs, find ways of incentives and co-financing.s
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Question 6.1 Half of questionnaires with no answerQuestion 6.2 Many questionnaries with no answer
Question 6.1: How can unions provide equivalent protection to their freelances as to their employed members?
Question 6.2: Is your union considering or changing its traditional tasks in order to better service its increasing freelance members? Please link to specific projects on your website. (Linklist available)
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Better service for freelances?
Question 6.1
Many with no answer
Main problem: legal status - enterpreneurs / self-employed
Exemption: Loi Cressard (France)
Minimum fees or salaries against legislation (cartel, competition)
Some unions are against „minimum fees“
Lobbying (national and EU) for a labor law for freelances
via authors‘ rights (e.g. Germany)
Empowerment through services / networking / online seminars
Better legal assistance
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Changing traditional tasks for freelances?
Question 6.2
Majority without answer
Could be crucial – many unions have up to 50 % freelance members
In journalism freelances are not „atypical workers“ anymore
Some hints to changing structures in some unions
Handbooks (and manuals)
More: Social Media, communities, targeted activities – digital services
Consultants for freelances (free of charge?)
Webinars
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Changing traditional tasks for freelances?
Things happening - support / facilitation through unions?
Different forms of local journalism (place bloggers)
Co-working spaces
Innovative ways of funding – foundations, crowdfunding,crowdsourcing
Workshops for new business models
Communities, networking, innovative marketing plattforms
Ongoing initiatives: late payment, authors‘rights ...
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Points for Discussion - Ready for Change?
Focus from journalists to journalism (Public good)
More targeted service and benefits esp. for freelances
More digital outreach (mailinglist, community, social media)
New forms of representation „freelance work council“
More networking events, new formats (barcamp, blogger meetings)
Better understanding for the needs and limitations of employed and freelance
journalists
Solidarity? Collective actions instead of collaboration?
The new knowledge workers have no tradition to fight for own interest
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Points for Discussion - Ready for Change?
Mapping needed! Multi-skilled and mobile journalists „an „increasing precarious workforce“ (professional journalists?9 Entrepreneurial journalists „Fake freelances“ Data journalism, WikiLeaks Hard blogging journalists
How can unions represent these new workers and where are they? Do they want them?
Biggest challenge: inclusion of freelances (competing organisations) Do they need us? Do the want to be represented by a union?
Survey: Managing Change in Journalism.
© Andreas K. Bittner, April 2011
Andreas K. Bittner
twitter.com/qwasi
facebook.com/qwasi.fb
bittner@qwasi.de
andreas.bittner@djv-bremen.de
Thank you for ex-changing!
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