Re-Imagining Education Journalism: How Innovative Business Models Could Save Education Media

Like so many facets of traditional media, education journalism is experiencing a wrenching transformation in terms of business models, organizational structure and news delivery. Old business models have collapsed, while new ones still are in the formative stage. Digital technologies have fundamentally altered the way news is gathered and delivered and the manner in which consumers access information. The result is a media ecosystem that is dramatically different from any other era in American journalism.

On May 11, Brookings Vice President Darrell West, along with Senior Fellows Grover “Russ” Whitehurst and E.J. Dionne, presented a new report, “Re-imagining Education Journalism,” which relies on interviews and case studies to summarize new trends in education coverage and how leading outlets are re-imagining their futures. This paper outlines the development of niche publications, news aggregators, social media and new content providers, and different business models such as subsidized content, for-profit models and indirect public subsidies. Following the presentation, an expert panel discussed the future of education newsmaking and how to spur a stronger focus on the issues that really matter in this new landscape.

After the discussion, panelists took audience questions.