Journalism is in a funny place these days. On the one hand the demand for news and information has never been higher. People are consuming this content at home, at work, on their phones and just about everywhere else. But on the other hand, it's really very difficult to be a journalist these days. With the spigots of content being freely opened to the public, the money has subsequently dried up for the newsroom's product. So what to do?
Nieman Journalism Lab aims to answer this question as well as the greater dilemmas this new economic model poses for the modern journalist. Nieman Lab was born out of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. In their own words they are looking to "figure out how quality journalism can survive and thrive in the Internet age." Aren't we all....
And really this should be of concern to everyone. Access to quality information is vital to the well being of society. Unfortunately, this can't be done pro bono. Journalists, like the rest of us, have bills to pay. And while Nieman Lab doesn't pretend to have even some of the answers to this conundrum, they are at least asking the tough questions and providing an environment for the conversation.