(RTTNews) -  ProPublica CEO Paul Steiger on Tuesday lamented that the destruction of newspaper business models is causing the deterioration of an industry that is vital to positive change in society. But he stressed the need of traditional media outlets to open themselves up to the possibilities of new technologies in order to save the industry.

Speaking at an FTC conference on the state of journalism, Steiger said that newspapers are producing a product that is "liked, but not needed."

The former Wall Street Journal managing editor said that the key to helping journalism survive is not to "reverse the revolution," but instead to embrace the technological advancements that have led to the rise of Internet journalism.
Using his own company as a model, Steiger talked about how newspapers and web-based news organizations could collaborate to create informative news in order to uphold the public interest and to influence political leaders.

Steiger said that the Internet does bring benefits to the dissemination of news, as its speed allows breaking news from all over the world to be reported in real-time. He also praised the Internet's capability to let informed news consumers give their own opinions on news developments and to foster informative public debate.

He did admit, however, that the quick reporting capabilities of the Internet could not and should not take the place of the thorough and painstaking reporting that creates the backbone of important and informative investigative journalism.

by RTT Staff Writer

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com