Funding journalism in the future 'must be a priority' for government

This week marked the publication of the latest Oxford Reuters Digital News Report into the media landscape in Ireland. One of the report's authors Dr Eileen Culloty argues that the report clearly highlights why the funding of quality journalism in the future must now be a priority issue for the new Minister of Communications.

In revolutionising access to information, the internet severely disrupted the business model of journalism. This is of critical concern because well-resourced, quality journalism is a vital component of a democratic society. It may not always be perfect, but journalism does inform the public and hold power to account.

Essentially, the funding crisis in journalism emerges from three overlapping trends: the public’s unwillingness to pay for online news, the low rate of return for online advertising, and the growing power of online technology companies. Results from the second Oxford Reuters Digital News Report (Ireland) 2016, the largest ongoing study of news consumption in the world, highlight the extent of the difficulties facing news publishers.