Those who receive in their mailboxes daily or biweekly the Tendenci@as newsletterthey know that the information they provide Ismael Nafriaits author, is an excellent guide for navigating the informational world of the Internet.
This Spanish journalist, writer and consultant, who worked in big groups like Prisa and Godó and was trained in centers such as Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas from the University of Texas, He is a media specialist, particularly dedicated to the immense transformation that the transition from traditional media to the web meant (and means).
He is also the author of several books. Your study “The reinvention of The New York Times”about the newspaper that best navigated the crisis unleashed by the digitalization of the press, is a must-see text for any journalist or publisher (editor) who wants to learn from the good experience of a successful media. And, in relation to Argentina, he has just published “Clarin updated. The story of the digital transformation of Diario Clarín” (Galaxia Gutenberg).
This “reinvention” forced by the dizzying changes brought about by the Internet is still a “working progress”, that is, a task in which research is still being done, tested and progress is made with successes and errors. On the other hand, the financial crisis that caused this revolution continues to be difficult for many companies to overcome, especially in economies as faltering as Argentina’s.
To better understand how the media is sustained and projected today and how the aforementioned changes affected journalistic activity, we spoke with Ismael Nafria. Here are his answers to our questions.
NEWS: Journalism has undergone great transformations in recent years. Among them, the way to support oneself financially. Did this happen in a similar way all over the world?
Ismael Nafria: It occurs, practically, in all markets. He business model which had been quite stable and solid for many years, based, above all, on advertising revenue; it’s over. Advertising went to other environments, to Google, Facebook and other platforms, and that income was not replaced. Now a balance is being reached. Digital subscriptions, the income generated by users, are righting the situation. Another income is electronic commerce, which in some specialized media has worked very well. I would say that we are in a phase of certain recovery of a slightly more stable model.
NEWS: What happened on television?
Nafria: Television has sustained advertising revenue very well. And the radio has remained quite stable, although it has never applied a payment model. On paper, no matter which country you look at, audiences have been falling, due to people’s changing habits.
NEWS: The financial crisis also reduced expenses in specific journalistic work. Is this also beginning to reverse?
Nafria: There are different scenarios. There are media outlets that not only have not reduced, but have expanded, teams. And those who have done that generally do well. It’s true that you had to be able to afford it. The sharpest reductions occurred a few years ago. Also because it is now understood that you need to create really solid products if you want to cement a model based on user income. By “solid product” I mean both the informative product and the one that enriches people’s lives. If I can’t make a differential product that provides value, that makes the recipient think they are taking advantage of their time by reading it, it doesn’t work.
NEWS: One of the things that competes most with journalism today is the content created by people on social networks. How does this affect information activity?
Nafria: We don’t have to stop people’s creativity. But I don’t call that journalism. Journalistic work is done with specific criteria and ethics that give it credibility. Maybe what we need to do is use other platforms better to reach people. But we must be careful with collaborations on networks because they are spaces that the media or the journalist do not control. And in the end you can end up being a slave to those networks. We have to focus on creating our own audience. The largest possible, of the highest possible quality, very well treated. It is important to have a clear idea of what you want, not to get carried away, to set your own pace.
NEWS: How do you handle readers’ anger when the medium does not meet their expectations?
Nafria: It happens that the audience of a medium has a certain orientation, in many cases, congruent with the position of the medium. So when this one steps out of line, people get angry. They even unsubscribe. It is very difficult to fight against people’s perceptions. For me, the key is more than objectivity (which is a very complicated concept to explain), what matters is the honesty of the journalist. Another thing also happens: that social networks greatly amplify protests or shouts. But let’s remember that Twitter is not representative of society. There are many people who value honest journalistic work, well done. This is the only way to explain why The New York Times has 10 million subscribers. If it were all such a disaster, there would be no one consuming and paying for that information. At the end of the day, I see no other solution than to row doing a good job. We are an industry and a profession that, fortunately or unfortunately, has to prove it every day. Information is a product that is constantly created, so the tension that must be put into it, the rigor, is so constant that it requires a lot of effort. And it also demands care from the people who work in the media. We are even seeing the need to address mental problems because of this. Luckily that debate has also surfaced.
NEWS: How does the issue of state advertising in the media work in Spain?
Nafria: There is always money that comes from administrations, from governments that generates debates. That’s why it also seems to me that the model of supporting the media through consumers is the healthiest. It is very important as long as there is the maximum possible transparency in all orders. Because it helps something essential today, which is credibility. The loss of credibility is generalized in all countries. There is a problem of trust in society that even affects institutions such as the army or the church. It’s something to recover and work on.
NEWS: What does the future hold? What media model are we going towards?
Nafria: There are several things. For me, one of the most interesting in recent years has been the value, due to its ability to connect very deeply with the audience, of newsletters and podcasts. Because it is a product that goes directly to the user. It does not go through networks, intermediaries, or search engines. And it favors that relationship of trust between a person who writes to you and the one who reads or listens to it. Promoting this type of journalism, more personal, closer between the medium and the reader or listener, is one of the great things that is happening. Another interesting thing is going to be really honing in on the personalization of the products. This has been talked about for a long time but, in reality, it has not been done. The podcast, for example, has the virtue of being a very identifiable product, with a specific style, that the consumer has the freedom to listen to when it suits them. That is a very powerful element. Another thing that is happening in the media is the search for the right balance between information and entertainment or service information that helps you have a more interesting life. That combination is going to increase.
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