Online journalism takes off

Mary Baker Eddy must be pleased.

The newspaper she founded, The Christian Science Monitor, is going in a drastically new direction. As reported earlier this week, in "April 2009, it will shift from its current daily-print format to a multi-platform news organization with a 24/7 daily online publication, a weekly print edition and a daily electronic subscription product. With these changes, The Christian Science Monitor is leading journalism into its next era of 24/7 online coverage and true interactivity."

On the occasion of the newspaper celebrating its centennial anniversary this month, a panel of journalists and media experts was held at the Christian Science Publishing Society this evening to address what Monitor publisher Jonathan Wells calls "journalism that helps society move forward."

Here are some notes:

"There are more options to get information today than ever before. But the question is what the quality of that information will be."
- Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of The Project for Excellence in Journalism

Ellen Hume, research director of MIT's Center for Future Civic Media
-the business model for newspapers is being lost to the Internet
-"shift of power" from newspaper publisher to everyone

Douglas K. Smith, Executive Director, Sulzberger News Media
*Currently what doesn't work for online journalism
-age/demographic shifts
-how to monetize online news
-content and edit
-retaining audiences
-creating "sustainable enterprise model"

Sree Sreenivasan, Director of the New Media Program at Columbia University's School of Journalism
-smart use of technology had a role in the U.S. presidential race
-more people watch YouTube to catch what they missed on television
-Flip cameras are all the rage
-The Internet is "not lowering standards, but creating opportunities to learn news tricks, and see where we can go."

Lessons learned:
-Both broadcast and print journalists can still have a career in the new media world
-PaidContent.org is a cool website
-the Monitor will continue to thrive.