RightsCon Toronto 2018

This is an interactive session focusing on the viability and feasibility of journalism in the digital age. Journalism is facing an existential crisis. Digital transformation, rapidly changing business models, surveillance and general mistrust are just some of the challenges media and journalists need to respond to. We aim to outline major trends and best practices that can be used as indicators of what the future of online media/journalism could look like and what do we need to do to see it succeed.

Key areas to be discussed
1. Governance: The model of journalism as a private business shows signs of decline, together with the erosion of media institutions credibility and trust issues, and insecurity of journalistic work with visible deterioration of information quality. Traditional media business often lack credibility because of perceived ties to government and wealthy elites.
Question for the session: What are the new models for producing journalism and organising journalists’ work that are seen as credible and trusted sources?

2. Relationship with audiences/citizens/communities: A small qualitative research of Zero Hora audiences in Brazil revealed that readers always want to know what the source the reports is, and editors were also asked to highlight the names of the reporters. They asked for depth, without judgment. They asked for transparency, agility, and commitment to the truth. They asked for daily perspectives and contextualisation. They asked for inspiring stories. They asked to be part of the stories and to know how they are made.
Question for the session: How is this new relationship between audiences and journalists shaping up and what are new successful models?

3. Business models/philanthropy: Subsidising journalism from advertising revenues is a broken model. We need to see more clearly journalists' role in the value chain of producing and distributing news compared to the role of technology companies. This question impacts the relationship journalists and media have with audience, advertisers and other stakeholders. As a result, we shall be able to reconfigure and reposition the business model and create sustainable business models that combine social value with our economic strength.
Question for the session: What are new business/funding models for journalism?

75-minute session, workshop format, aimed at bridging divides, creating networking opportunities, and looking past the problematising stage of journalism in a digital age to coming up with inspired and far-fetched new ideas and opportunities. The session also seeks to give participants an opportunity to vent and explore the current frustration over corporate and government controlled internet and media, and to think through new models and solutions that will help us create new ways of sharing news and creating journalism in the future.