The Future of News Is All That Is Left

Liberal media experts populate journalism conference co-sponsored by communications union.

By Dan Gainor
Business & Media Institute

The future of the news industry is made up of unions and liberal media experts. At least, that was how “The Future of News Industry Jobs” was presented at one of the nation’s foremost journalism schools. When it came to discussing the business of news, the panel was packed with everything from a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate to anti-corporate think tankers and the founding CEO of Air America.

The one-day news conference was co-sponsored by the Communication Workers of America, part of the AFL-CIO, and the University of Maryland’s Phillip Merrill School of Journalism. Two union executives were featured on panels and several newspaper guild members were in attendance. But the real peek at how journalists see their own future came with the final session. It wasn’t what the panel discussed so much as who was chosen to talk.

The panel’s six experts were asked about “Economics and the Future” for the industry. They included two left-wing think tank representatives, a former Maryland Democratic gubernatorial candidate, a former member of boards at both Air America and NewYorkTimes.com and a former publisher who now works with prominent left-wing billionaire Ron Burkle.

Only one member of the panel seemed to have no obvious political leaning – Jane Scholz of McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. There were no representatives from any conservative media.

The first panelist to speak was Jeff Johnson, the former publisher of the ....

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