Editors are mildly optimistic of the future

via Editors Weblog

A rather optimistic report from the World editors forum came out yesterday.

Here are some of the main findings

1. 86% believe integrated print and online newsrooms will become the norm, and 83% believe journalists will be expected to be able to produce content for all media within five years.
2. Two-thirds believe some editorial functions will be outsourced, despite frequent newsroom opposition to the practice.
3. Two-thirds believe some editorial functions will be outsourced, despite frequent newsroom opposition to the practice.
4. Two-thirds believe some editorial functions will be outsourced, despite frequent newsroom opposition to the practice.
5. A majority of editors - 56%- believe news in the future will be free, up from 48% from last year's survey
6. Two-thirds of respondents believe the importance of opinion and analysis pages will increase.
7. A majority - 58% - think the decline in young readership is the biggest threat for the future of newspapers

You can read the findings in a bit more detail here but one area of pessimism was the future quality of news.

But why the optimism.Well according to George Brock,President of the WEF,

Yes, editors are optimistic about the future of their papers, but they are also
aware of the potential danger on the horizon

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