Digital advertising increasingly is going to mega-tech companies like Google and Facebook, causing a ripple effect in fact-based journalism, with hundreds laid off last week. In this post, Tyler Kingkade–recently let-go BuzzFeed writer–has an optimistic outlook about the future of journalism.
A New York Times op-ed, “Why the Latest Layoffs Are Devastating to Democracy,” discusses recent layoffs across media platforms, including two hundred staff and journalists at BuzzFeed as well as 800 from Yahoo, Huffington Post, TechCrunch and other outlets. Gannett reportedly is letting go an additional 400.
According to the piece, a chief concern involves digital advertising going to media monopolies such as Google and Facebook:
The cause of each company’s troubles may be distinct, but collectively the blood bath points to the same underlying market pathology: the inability of the digital advertising business to make much meaningful room for anyone but monopolistic tech giants. The cause of each company’s troubles may be distinct, but collectively the blood bath points to the same underlying market pathology: the inability of the digital advertising business to make much meaningful room for anyone but monopolistic tech giants.
Tyler Kingkade, an outstanding alumnus from Iowa State’s journalism school, who worked for the Huffington Post and most recently BuzzFeed, was one of the employees who received a pink slip.
He sent this message to media ethics and tech/social change classes at his alma mater:
“It’s admittedly concerning if BuzzFeed had to downsize. Particularly in our News division, they laid off reporters who were in the process of turning our work into documentaries, which was a new avenue of making money. However, the ones laid off have gotten a lot of people flagging job openings for us, or asking to meet about giving us jobs. Even the LA Times, which has reduced its staff, is now building back up. The Seattle Times oddly enough is on a hiring spree.
“Journalism is a field that does not grow – there is never going to be a boom time for us. But I don’t believe it will ever dry up. People will figure out a stable model, whether it’s through selling story rights to be TV shows and movies (see Dirty John for a recent example) or subscription or a nonprofit donor model like ProPublica. I bet there will soon be something that gives you a bundle of subscriptions, in the same way that Spotify got people to finally stop illegally downloading music and pay for it again.
“The currents against you in media will always be strong; young journalists will just need to learn how to be strong enough to swim against it.”
Kingkade, based in New York, focuses on covering civil rights, crime, sexual harassment and assault, and the treatment of teens in vulnerable and traumatic situations. His work has earned multiple awards, recognition from national nonprofits, pushed companies and prosecutors to take action, and caused inquiries by universities and lawmakers. Most recently he was a National Reporter at BuzzFeed News in New York … and is currently looking for his next assignment.
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