Crumbling business models mean news media structures must change. Gavin Ellis explores the past and present use of newspaper trusts drawing on case studies such as the Guardian, the Irish Times and the Pulitzer Prize winning Tampa Bay Times to make the case for a form of ownership dedicated to sustaining high quality journalism.1. Why We Need Public Interest Journalism 2. Journalism's Crisis 3. Media Under Scrutiny 4. Genesis of Media Trusts 5. Keeping it in the Family 6. The Trinity Origins and Growth 7. Modern White Knights 8. The Electronic Age 9. Conclusions Possibilities and Realities Endnotes Bibliography Appendices Appendix A: Tables and Graphs Appendix B: Poynter Principles Appendix C: Government-mandated Governance in PSBs Appendix D: Charter of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (extract) Appendix E: Three-dimensional Media Performance Matrix
This book contains a very useful and timely overview of the various crises that have shaped journalism over the years and an excellent reminder of the investigations that have been carried out into journalism's structure and purpose (and which seem destined to be repeated again and again). - Des Freedman, Professor Media and Communication Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
Gavin Ellis is a lecturer, media consultant and researcher. A former editor-in-chief of the New Zealand Herald, his career in journalism and media management spans almost half a century. He holds a PhD in political studies from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, where he has also lectured on the news media and on propaganda.