Survival strategies of digital news media in the changing market environment

Abstract

The chapter focuses on the question of how changing business strategies of Slovenian commercial news media are impacting the journalism-audience relationship. The authors have conducted 38 interviews with journalists and editors, marketing executives, social media and analytics specialists and analyzed annual reports and other relevant investor-oriented forms of communication. Based on the analysis of this data, they identify several trends that will shape the relationship between journalists and their audiences. The impact of market demands on content will continue to increase, leading to more content that is either cost-effective to produce or has high potential for monetization, either because of audience interests or advertiser demands for blending editorial content with advertising. Additionally, the search for income sources outside of advertising will lead to a pluralization of business models and additional ways news media will attempt to engage audiences and include them in non-media business ventures like event management.