AIR/ITVS Scan of Public Media Independent Journalists

[Source: Association of Independents in Radio, July 1, 2011]

The AIR/ITVS Scan of Independent Journalists is now available (see below). This benchmark analysis, funded by CPB and conducted by Market Trends Research, provides new insight into how independent radio, television, and online producers intersect relative to the rapidly evolving landscape of public media of the last three years. Some of the top-line findings include:

• Nearly half (43%) of radio independents report a strong or very strong relationship with their local public radio station, while ties between TV journalists and local public television stations are weaker. (page 18)
• Of the 206 qualified respondents to the AIR-ITVS Scan, 75% of public media journalists work primarily in radio, 20% in television or film, and 5% online. (page 16)
• Nearly 50% of independent public media journalists report that online tools and digital distribution have helped cultivate more revenue-generating opportunities for their work. (page 26)
• Most independent journalists report that revenues generated in public media have stayed the same over the past three years, yet about twice as many report substantial declines to those who report increases in income. (page 58)
• TV-film journalists are more racially diverse (34% non-Caucasian) and significantly older as a group than the radio journalists. In radio, 56% are under 44 years of age while 71% of TV-film are over 44. (page 12)
• A considerable amount of independent journalistic work in public media is self-financed. (page 8)

AIR and ITVS anticipate this report will help their efforts to support independent journalism to reach more Americans and help inform how best to work with producers as they devise new approaches to collaboration, production, and distribution in a transformed, cross-platform public media.