In a related article on Poynter Online, Geneva Overholser proposes: “To all who anguish about the prospects for journalism, here is an
invitation: Let us turn our energy toward possibility.” The following is an excerpt from her report for the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
I. Corporate realities:
Enable corporate managers to focus on longer-term goals:
- elect board members for longer terms
- change incentives for investors
- impose punitive taxes on short-term stock trading
- provide tax forgiveness on long-term holding
Bring a greater sense of responsibility to corporate
governance of media companies:
- appoint directors with journalism experience
- assign responsibility to board members to monitor
editorial performance - tie incentive compensation for corporate officers to
journalistic quality - discontinue stock options for newsroom staff and outside
directors
Enable shareholders to exert pressure for corporate
responsibility:
- bring concept of socially responsible investing to media
companies
Conduct research showing links between good journalism and
good business:
- make corporate officers aware of findings
Consider units within media companies dedicated to
public-interest journalism:
- sheltered from normal profit pressures
- portion of online revenues devoted to this purpose
Establish partnership for quality journalism:
- supported by funds from media companies
- supported by foundations, nonprofits
Take public companies private:
- interest local citizens in these still highly profitable
media enterprises - get nonprofits involved
II. Not-for-profit media
Establish “Marshall Plan” by foundations and
philanthropists:
- increase support for non-profit media organizations
- foster new nonprofit media models
III. Journalists’ responsibilities
A. Objectivity
- replace with process of
verification
B. Accountability
- strengthen through
collaboration - create networks to enhance
effectiveness - enhance transparency through
use of e-mails, editors’ columns, etc. - media outlets conduct annual
self-audits and make results public
C. Professionalization
- institutionalize
apprenticeships - news organizations collaborate
to support standards for journalists - establish independent council to
track, promote, define independent news function in U.S. - emulate national board for
teacher certification to provide credential - work to ensure that journalism
graduate degrees achieve cachet of MBA
IV. Speaking out for journalism
- journalists should
assume a responsibility for speaking out on behalf of viable and independent
media as individuals and through organizations - focus on freedom of information
not as media privilege but as public right - produce radio/television shows
whose segments focus on reporting - consider
advertising/public-relations campaigns on behalf of journalism - journalism educators join forces
to speak out for journalism - gather leaders of journalism
organizations, foundations, universities and other institutions to form a
coalition in support of public service journalism and freedom of the press
V. The role of government
- pass tax legislation to enable
news companies to be organized as nonprofit, tax-exempt corporations - devote funds to be gained from
government auction of publicly owned telecommunications spectrum to the
provision of educational material in digital media - provide tax breaks for ethnic
media and other under-heard voices - consider governmentally
sponsored search engine
VI. The role of the public
- pressure
colleges to require civics education - push
for more courses in news literacy, first amendment - support
news media in schools - expand
Sunshine Week activities, move from annual to greater frequency - create
and distribute field guides for news consumers
VII. New forms of media
- encourage
entrepreneurialism among journalists - train
traditional journalists in new delivery platforms - train new
media practitioners in old media principles - provide
tutorials for citizens in gathering and shaping news - create wire
service of ethnic media to strengthen disparate voices
