Sirkkunen E., Cook C. (eds.) Chasing Sustainability on the Net: International research on 69 journalistic pure players and their business models

Tamperer: University of Tampere, 2012. — 135 p. — ISBN: 978-951-44-8967-9.This report outlines how online-based journalistic startups have created their economical locker in the evolving media ecology. The research introduces the ways that startups have found sustainability in the markets of nine countries. The work is based on 69 case studies from Europe, USA and Japan. The case analysis shows that business models can be divided into two groups. The storytelling-oriented business models are still prevalent in our findings. These are the online journalistic outlets that produce original content – news and stories for audiences. But the other group, service-oriented business models, seems to be growing. This group consists of sites that don’t try to monetize the journalistic content as such but rather focuson carving out new functionality. The project was able to identify several revenue sources: advertising, paying for content, affiliate marketing, donations, selling data or services, organizing events, freelancing and training or selling merchandise. Where it was hard to evidence entirely new revenue sources, it was however possible to find new ways in which revenue sources have been combined or reconfigured. The report also offers practical advice for those who are planning to start their own journalistic site.Diversified media landscapes
Overview of media systems
USA: Moderate success after a long crisis
Japan: Journo-based and journo-oriented
UK: Big media friends
France: Tensions and diversity
Italy: An unfinished transition
Spain: Enthusiasm and fragility
Finland: Legacy dominatesRevenue sources
Sustaining journalistic entrepreneurship
ConclusionsAbout the authors
List of cases in the SuBMoJour-database by country
Questionnaire