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FTI JournalismFutures Study
FTI JournalismFutures Study
FTI JournalismFutures Study
Survey On
Journalism’s
Futures
A new global survey by the Future Today
Institute about how those working in news
think about the future.
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Future Today Institute
Survey Methodology
The Future Today Institute conducted a series of on- A similar set of questions were fielded to the general
line surveys from August 4 - September 4, 2017. Par- population in partnership with Ipsos, a global mar-
ticipants were recruited via journalism associations, ket research and consulting firm. The Ipsos survey
including: Global Editors Network, Online News Asso- was conducted online from August 31 to September 1
ciation, Asian American Journalists Association, Na- among 1,004 U.S. adults. For questions about industry
tional Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, Society futures, the sample size was 582 U.S. adults who are
for News Design, Society of Professional Journalists, employed either full or part-time.
National Association of Black Journalists and National
Association of Hispanic Journalists. Participants were
also solicited via FTI’s social media accounts and via
our email distribution lists. Some participants were
also solicited directly by email.
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Future Today Institute
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Future Today Institute
Our Thanks
We would like to thank the Global Editors Network
(GEN) and Online News Association for their assis-
tance in distributing the survey to their memberships.
GEN was particularly generous in sharing the mission
of this research with its global membership base, while
ONA facilitated the launch of this report at its 2017 in-
ternational conference.
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Future Today Institute
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 6
Key Findings 7
Survey Results 9
Disclaimer 22
Contact Information 23
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Future Today Institute
This new, global survey asked people who work within the news media
ecosystem how they think about the future. One big takeaway: While
staff do track emerging technology and trends in the very near term,
few are thinking about the farther future of journalism. And almost no
one is actively building long-term scenarios for the intersection of news,
technology and democracy.
Executive Summary
The future of news is a popular topic, especially among that they could face technological unemployment, like
journalists. While journalists eagerly discuss the im- many other white-collar workers.
pact of Russian news bots, the maturing artificial in-
telligence ecosystem, and whether or not the current Our research shows that even across geographic
business models are sustainable, we were curious to boundaries, there is a clear correlation between age
learn how staff within news organizations think about and futures thinking. Staff who are at the beginning
their own futures, and how their companies are pre- and end of their careers are more likely to think about
paring for disruption in their respective markets. the mid-future and farther-future (5 - 20+ years) of
news. Meanwhile, staff between the ages of 44-64 are
In this first-of-its-kind global survey about how staff more likely to be “nowists”—that is, they think about
within news organizations think about their futures, we the immediate future (12 months ahead) and the
asked pointed questions about what strategies and tac- near-future (1 - 5 years) more than other timeframes.
tics are being used to plan for the next 12 months - 20 We found this particularly troubling, because the
years. We received survey responses from a wide range nowists—those who are 44-64 years old—tend to be
of professionals: CEOs and publishers, managing edi- those managers who are making strategic and opera-
tors, chief technology officers and product managers, tional decisions that directly affect their companies as
financial analysts, strategy officers, human resource well as the future sustainability of news.
specialists, reporters, editors and on-air news anchors.
Participants hailed from Europe, Asia and Southeast The future of news isn’t subject only to the whims of
Asia, Latin America and throughout the United States Silicon Valley, the volatility of global markets or the
and Canada1. geopolitical balance at a particular moment in time.
Those working within journalism have an opportunity
We learned just how far into the future news organiza- to shape their own destiny as it evolves. But having a
tions are planning. And we uncovered fears and hopes say in the future of news requires intervention in the
embedded in today’s newsrooms. Journalists are deep- present. Staff must apply future-thinking skills to their
ly concerned that they won’t be prepared for new com- day-to-day operations so that they can hear signals,
munication technologies, that the business models at identify disruption early and map out possible scenar-
their organizations won’t be relevant much longer, and ios for the next 5, 10, 20 and 30 years.
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The survey was distributed globally, however we did not receive responses from anyone in Mexico or Africa.
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Future Today Institute
Key Findings
News organization staff between the ages of 44-64 tend to be “nowists,” thinking more about the imme-
diate future (12 months ahead) and the near-future (1 - 5 years) than any other timeframe.
This demographic tends to be the managers who are making strategic and operational decisions that directly
affect their news organizations as well as the future sustainability of news.
However very few staff are thinking about the longer-term future of news in the coming age of AI,
automation and voice-based computing:
53% say they rarely think about the next 10 - 20 years of journalism. 78% say that they never engage in any
longer-term planning and scenario mapping for the future of news.
News organization staff are future-minded, at least when it comes to the very near-term.
Some 75% of participants say that their newsrooms pay attention to tech trends. 63% say that their newsrooms
engage in tech trends analysis at least once a quarter. In contrast, only 18% of the general population say
their companies are tracking and analyzing trends.
Staff are optimistic about the possibilities for the near-term future (12 months - 5 years) of news.
However, only 49% of those surveyed say that their news organization’s leadership is likely to address
their near-term fears.
Participants cited a lack of resources, management bottlenecks, and limited time when it comes to longer-
term strategic foresight and planning.
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Future Today Institute
Key Findings
Fewer news organizations are tracking the mid-term impact of tech trends (5 - 10 years) on news.
69% say that their newsrooms aren’t conducting analysis on emerging tech trends and how they will impact
news in the next 5 - 10 years.
News organization staff are more likely to think about their own personal futures than average Americans.
Some 94% of news organization staff say they think about their personal futures, ranging from a few months to
30+ years into the future. 32% of the general population say they think about mid-futures once a month, while
77% say that they rarely think 30 years into the future.
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
The majority of participating journalists think It’s something that’s on Change is coming from
about the near-future of their newsrooms several my mind more often everywhere. Budget
than not. cuts, new technologies,
times a week or more.
Russian fake news bots.
I think quite often about
all the impact this will
have on our newsroom.
How often do you think about the near-future (12 months - 5 years) of your newsroom?
Rarely
A few times
a month
Weekly
Several times
a week
Daily
0% 50% 100%
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
The majority of staff think about the near-future Most of my thinking is We don’t really have a
(12 months - five years) of their newsrooms sever- informal. process beyond noticing
tech trends and then
al times a week or more.
eventually freaking out
75% reported that their newsrooms research tech about them.
trends, while 63% say that their newsrooms engage in
tech trends analysis at least once a quarter.
Fringe Sketch
Scenario Mapping
Scenario Testing
Strategy Development
Strategy Revision
0% 50% 100%
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
Staff have a range of concerns about the near-future (12 months - 5 years) of news.
49% of those surveyed say that their news organization’s leadership will address their near-term fears.
What worries you most about the near-future of your news organization?
My main concerns are that, within the larger Funding a newsroom is a ‘fringe benefit’ of small
media ecosystem, newsrooms are not aware of community radio stations, who can do grassroots
technological constraints and opportunities. More groundwork, but may have difficulty paying someone
specifically, I still sense newsrooms are treading to do that work.”
water, making it hard to swim meaningfully toward - Chad Reich, News Director, KBUT Radio
the future.”
audience.”
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
Open-ended question: What are the most urgent opportunities for your newsroom in the next 12 months - 5 years?
Mobile
Virtual Reality
Paywalls
Artificial Intelligence
Staff Turnover
Video
Eliminating Print
Increasing Ad Revenue
Subscriptions
Customizing Content
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Survey Results
46% 28%
About half of those surveyed say they think say they think about say they rarely
about the mid-future of newsrooms beyond the mid-future of their think about the next
newsrooms at least 5-10 years of their
five years.
once a week or more. newsrooms.
Rarely
A few times
a month
Weekly
Several times
a week
Daily
0% 50% 100%
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
What worries me most about the mid-future of my
While individual staff are actively thinking about
news organization is that we were so far behind
the mid-future of news, few of their newsrooms a few years ago that we are spending all of our
are working on strategy for the next 5 - 10 years. time and energy catching up. And even though
we’re doing a good job catching up, that doesn’t
69% say that their newsrooms aren’t conducting
leave resources available for planning for the
analysis on emerging tech trends and how they will
future. Meanwhile, our competition is spending their
impact news in the next 5 - 10 years.
resources on starting to get ahead.”
Fringe Sketch
Scenario Mapping
Scenario Testing
Strategy Development
Strategy Revision
0% 50% 100%
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
41%
Fewer staff are optimistic about opportunities for of participants answered this open-ended question,
the mid-term (5 - 10 years) future of news. which asked them to list concrete examples of
opportunities in for newsrooms.
Open-ended question: What are the most urgent opportunities for your newsroom in the next 5 - 10 years?
Mobile
Virtual Reality
Paywalls
Artificial Intelligence
Staff Turnover
Video
Eliminating Print
Increasing Ad Revenue
AR
Big Data
Non-English News
Bots
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
53%
Few staff ever think about the farther-future of the say they rarely think Staff aged
news media business and journalism. about the next 10 - 20 30 and younger
years of journalism. are more likely to think
about the farther-future
of news at least once a
month.
How often do you think about the farther-future of the news media business?
(10 - 20 years from today)
Rarely
A few times
a month
Weekly
Several times
a week
Daily
0% 50% 100%
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
Staff who are thinking about the farther-future of It worries me to think how Trump is right. If
news have a range of concerns. newspapers are run like this small town American
Not enough post-entry level positions with be hope for the survival of our watchdog purpose in
everyone to have all the technical skills already.” - Jody Brannon, Chief News Evangelist, Bing News
Not only that my company may not exist, but upon the immediate future, which we are not yet
that the way journalism is conducted and distributed able to confidently predict, other than to say there
will further short circuit the ability of regular people — will always be a need for accurate and reliable
especially those who aren’t savvy about how to seek journalism (if even by some other name). The present
vetted and reported information proactively — to be problem is to find an economic model, stemming
- Product Manager at a news organization on the East Coast access to high quality reporting and distribution.”
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
While staff do not necessarily think about the They do think about their personal futures often,
farther-future of news, they do think about their and they use a variety of digital tools.
personal futures often, and they use a variety of
Tools the staff use to think about their own futures
digital tools. include:
94% say they think about their personal futures, • Bullet Journal
ranging from a few months to 30+ years into the future.
• Evernote
When you think about your own future, how far out do you typically go?
A few months
A year
1-3 years
3-5 years
5-10 years
10-15 years
15-20 years
20-30 years
30+ years
0% 50% 100%
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
19% Only 5%
In partnership with Ipsos, we surveyed the gener- say that they don’t say that they think
al population to learn how Americans think about spend time thinking about their futures
the future. The average American does not spend about the future of their beyond 20 years.
very much time thinking about the future of her/ fields. Of those who do
his company or industry.
think about the future
majority focus on a
timeframe of 1 - 5 years.
When you think about the future of your profession or industry, how far out do you
tend to think?
A few months
A year
1-3 years
3-5 years
5-10 years
10-15 years
15-20 years
20-30 years
30+ years
0% 50% 100%
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
There is a strong correlation between a major life event and the likelihood of news organization staff
thinking about the future of news.
Staff who have experienced a major life event—becoming a parent or grandparent, a traumatic event
(including job loss or workplace disruption), or dealing with a serious illness (either personally or via a close
loved one)—were more likely to think about the future of news throughout the week.
When thinking about the future, those who experienced a major life event tend to think longer-term.
Of participants who have experienced a major life event, 81% report feeling generally optimistic on a day-to-
day basis.
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Future Today Institute
Survey Results
For average Americans, race, marital status and education level had little effect on how likely they are
to think about the future of the industries in which they work.
Those without a college degree tracked nearly identically when asked about how far into the future they think.
Those without a college degree were 1.7 times more likely to report that they don’t spend any time thinking
about the future of their industry at all.
There are regional differences in how far out Americans think about their own personal futures.
Midwesterners are more likely to think only 1-3 years into the future, while those in the West think 3-5 years ahead.
Southerners think 5-10 years into the future. Americans in the Northeast project out the farthest: 15-20 years.
How often Americans think about the future (daily, a few times a week, monthly, a few times a year)
didn’t vary significantly by region.
When asked how often they think about something that might happen, or something they might do, at least 10
years from the present, a fifth of Americans say a few times a year. However a third of Americans say they rarely,
if ever, think that far ahead.
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Future Today Institute
Disclaimer
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Future Today Institute
Contact Information
hello@futuretodayinstitute.com
267-342-4300
www.futuretodayinstitute.com
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