The separation between editorial and business activities of news organizations has long been a fundamental norm of journalism. Journalists have traditionally considered this separation as both an ethical principle and an organizational solution to preserve their professional autonomy and isolate their newsrooms from profit-driven pressures exerted by advertising, sales and marketing departments.”
Interviewing 41 media professionals in 6 European countries, an interesting 2020 study (although a bit dated now given the rapidity of change) looks at how editorial and commercial integration has become the norm, and what this looks like. Paired with best practices from those working within the industry, there’s some valuable lessons to be learned and perhaps a new role for journalists: subscription sellers.
