Newsrooms Aren't Dying

Regarding journalism in today’s society, it is common to hear the phrase “newsrooms are dying;” however, this is far from the truth. Newsrooms in today’s media are simply expanding and reaching out in different formats than they used to previously.

In a 2016 study from the Pew Research Center, data showed that cable news channels were causing a ratings bump that companies have not seen in several years. There was a significant notice in projections of subscribers and advertising, while ultimately helped these channels to grow in revenue for these cable news networks. Specifically major news channels such as CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, combined average viewership increased by 8%, a 3.1 million viewer increase, according to Pew Research Center analysis of Nielsen Media Research data.

It is difficult to argue that newsroom stations are dying when these cable networks have also recently experienced projected revenue growth from two main sources; advertising and subscribers. According to the Pew study, the majority of this revenue is coming from the increase in their monthly subscriber’s cable bills. Fox News was projected to grow its subscriber fee revenue by 17% to a $1.4 billion gain.

However, although these news stations are receiving increases in revenue and viewers via television, these newsrooms are further expanding by tapping into digital platforms. News publishers are making an effort to be digital, as social media has revealed that digital news comes second to television as the most frequently accessed type of media source, according to the Pew study. Nearly four-in-ten U.S. adults (38%) said that they often get news from digital sources, including websites and or apps.

Newsrooms are beginning to take advantage of mobilizing their newscastings to the general public and their major audiences, considering that this digital growth is particularly driven by growth in mobile audiences. With newsrooms that are linked digitally, more specifically mobily, they are to experience a significant growth in active viewers and audience members that are interacting with their news media.

Newsrooms are simply expanding the ways in which they deliver news and interact with their audiences, more specifically in a way that works comfortably in today’s society.