What is the Revenue Potential of E-Journalism?
The internet has been just as revolutionary to the journalism industry as the invention of the printing press, the radio, or television. All of these inventions led to a major shift in the journalism industry, changing the way that people received news and information of all types. Each of these shifts has made it easier to put information and news into the hands of readers of a much wider audience. Thanks to the internet, it is now possible for digital media forms to reach a nearly global audience practically instantaneously.
The Downfall of Traditional Print Journalism?
However the shift to digital media forms and online access has not all been positive. With the shift to the digital age of information and news sharing there is far more content available for free than ever before, prompting a crisis in the traditional realms of print journalism. With rapidly declining print sales and profit levels, print media publications are struggling to find a way to keep themselves relevant in the modern world. They have had to change their practices drastically just in order to keep their services profitable and current. Profit levels of traditional media are still down considerably, though there are now many new areas for expansion and new streams of profit to tap into.
Shifts in the Journalism Industry
The digital age has invented several new platforms for the distribution of information and content, including many free or low cost forms of e-journalism like blogs, news websites, and online newsletters. Such forms of e-journalism have revolutionized the way people obtain information, but they also put stress on the traditional platforms to adjust and keep up with the changing times. But the more exciting prospect is that digital media has lowered the barrier for entry into journalism, making it possible for more people to enter the industry with far lower startup costs. Forms of media that would never be profitable in print are now extremely viable forms of e-journalism in the form of money making blogs or newsletters.
A More Accessible Journalism Market
If you are determined enough, you can certainly get your content published or self publish it on the internet. This has opened the doors to new types of entrepreneurial opportunities for all sorts of people with an interest in journalism. While some people claim that the internet is flooding the market with large amounts of poor quality forms of written content, there is just as much high quality journalism content as ever. In fact, if anything, the internet has expanded the availability of access to quality journalism. However with the increase of accessibility of content, the market has now become oversaturated. With people being constantly bombarded with information from all sides, the value of any one piece of writing has dropped dramatically. Between higher competition for readership and the growing need to publish free content, the journalism industry is in the midst of undergoing a crisis of profitability.
What Does This Mean For You?
Anyone can start up their own career in journalism. If you have the skills to write, something to say, and write about something that other people are interested in reading about, you can launch a profitable e-journalism career. While it does take time, effort, and a bit of luck to find ways to get your content to turn a profit, there is no doubt that the potential for profit is there. There is a massive and growing industry in online advertising that is not likely to decline anytime soon. And new platforms for distributing content like social media and YouTube offer even more potential for you to expand your ideas into new mediums. The journalism industry as a whole may be in need of a major restructuring, but for anyone looking to break into the market for the first time, it is now easier to get started than ever.
