Mapping and Understanding Sustainable Business Models for Journalism (SuBmoJour)

New forms of content production and social interaction have significantly changed the media landscape and people´s communication behaviour. The overlap between traditional mass media forms and diverse modes of user generated content is expanding. This has provoked a wave of research and speculation about the future of possible new modes and models for journalism. At the same time, the business models of traditional media companies are going through profound transformations. Old ways of making business don´t necessarily work anymore, and new, sustainable models are badly needed.

SuBmoJour project will be realized in two phases. The first phase consists of planning and building the Jbusinessmodels101.com database. The database will present business models that are profitable, or are soon becoming profitable. The Jbusinessmodels101.com database will serve as a tool of research and development, as an open innovation database and as a how-to quide about creating revenue models for publications.

In the second phase, we will study with in-depth case studies the economical and social conditions of journalism in order to understand what the context of these business models is. The project will carry out case studies in the USA, Europe and Japan. The work concentrates on three interrelated themes, 1) business models and production concepts, 2) work processes, and 3) journalistic identities.

SuBmoJour is a collaboration project of three universities, USC Annenberg, J-School of Waseda University and Journalism Research and Development Centre at Tampere University.

The website of the project

Contact person in JRDC:
Esa Sirkkunen
tel. +358 3 3551 6424

Contact person in USC Annenberg:
Pekka Pekkala

Project leader:
Risto Kunelius, professor
tel: +358 40 190 4085

Partner: Helsingin Sanomat Foundation

Duration: 2010-2012