A few things are nagging at my brain about the state of the media.  I feel like I just need to throw them all out on a piece of pixels and see what comes out the other end.

• The TV, Radio and Print industries are all getting killed since your traditional big spending advertisers (Automotive, Retail and Financials) have hit skid row.
• People are moving from print version of newspapers to online, which is causing a further cutback in the need for local reporters.
• Radio networks are becoming more consolidated.
• It’s become easier and less expensive for TV news organizations to re-purpose their video content on their web property.
• Talk radio stations can take their exclusive content, turn it into podcasts, and extend its reach.
• Sports writers are guests on radio shows.  Radio guys are doing TV.  And TV Web sites have written content.
• The rise of blogs gives more voice to independent writers and amateur broadcasters.
• The general; distrust of the American media drives more people to seek out alternative media and new voices that are not tied to corporations.

In the end, it feels like there are not enough ad dollars to support 4 local TV stations, a bunch of radio stations and 2 local newspapers.  But they are all covering the same stories, just through a different medium and slightly different lens.

To me, it seems like a natural evoultion would be for TV stations to absorb newspaper writers, and then further consolidate with radio stations.  We could see broadcasting brands develop locally around political perspective or area of excellence.  One station may focus on business and economy, while one focused on social issues.  But the stories would be covered expertly and distributed by video and text.  Teams of reporters could work together to produce short form 30,000 foot overviews and long form, deep dives.

I just think a perfect storm has developed, and media is going to have to change.  There’s less money than before, greater ways to publish, and an audience with more ways to consume the same data.  This leads me to believe media could change significantly very rapidly.

Like I prefaced in the beginning of this, I can’t figure it out for sure, but am certain something has to change.  Do you have any ideas?