We Want Media

Politico’s Jim VandeHei said on Thursday, “The days of big newspapers that cover everything are over,” reported The Capital Times.

VandeHei said that the web has created a huge opportunity for niche journalism. He went on to say that niche journalism will become the predominant journalism of the future. He cites the trend of major print publications closing foreign bureaus in the past decade as evidence of his prediction.

Even Politico’s print version is more niche-y than the online version. The print version is distributed mostly in Washington, so the coverage is much more Congress-based, while the online version focuses much more on the broader 2008 election.

He believes Politico has given his large staff of 20 reporters a “chance to change the stodgy, formulaic, ‘austere voice of God’ writing style” that he says many major newspapers embrace. Instead, they are allowed to take on a more conversation and “edgier tone” which allows for a closer relationship with the reader.

Despite the obvious trend of niche journalism, I still think there is the need for a source of information that covers a whole spectrum of news. When I want a source that is comfortable giving its opinion I will turn to a niche source. But if I want a straight story news story, I’m not sure I can turn to a writer with an “edgy” tone. Sometimes I don’t want to hear the news from my friend, but rather from a publication that can give it to me straight.