By Chris Lee

A debate is raging over what shape the future of the UK media will take. Media house News International initiated a pay wall in the spring of 2010 meaning those wanting to read The Times and The Sunday Times online now have to pay to access the sites’ stories.

The decline of newspaper sales and revenues has led to media companies to look at new ways to generate income. Meanwhile, traditional media faces rivalry from the rise and rise of bloggers across the world. It’s in this backdrop that New Media Knowledge’s Chris Lee quizzed Jorn Lyseggen, CEO and founder of online media monitoring company Meltwater, to gain some insight as to the changing face of the UK media scene.

How has News International faired since switching to a pay wall? When will we be able to gauge whether it was a good or bad move?

Only time will tell whether this was a good or bad move, however early indications suggest that it is struggling to retain and attract new subscribers. According to an article published by The Guardian, The Times has lost 90 per cent of its online readership. This is certainly not a good sign. It is still too early to make any final conclusion, but these early reports clearly shows that such pay walls are a risky gamble and certainly not a strategy for the faint hearted. 

Do you see any other mainstream publishers taking this route any time soon?

Based on what we are currently seeing, no other mainstream publishers are following in the footsteps of News International. The challenge is to convince people to pay for something that they can find for free somewhere else. Only a very few media outlets with a particularly valued voice would be able to successfully build a sustainable business model that hides their content behind a pay wall.

Is 'the media' really in such a bad way? Isn't it just diversifying and, one could argue, becoming better as a result?

I agree. I don't think "the media" is in such disarray. The development of social media is contributing to the honest and rigorous scrutiny of news and current affairs. The multitude of voices and chatter online is enriching "the media" with new voices and perspectives, and that’s positive. The challenge with the new media landscape on the other hand is how to navigate through all the different voices and opinions. Who should you trust? Who should you believe? Objective and trustworthy journalism is of course one of the strengths of traditional media, and that is, in my opinion, something that will be hugely important to stand out in a loud and noisy new media landscape. The national print media is certainly under pressure in times like this, but "the media" as a whole has probably never been richer.

What's the UK media scene going to look like two years from now?

In two years the UK media landscape will still be dominated by the strong media brands of today. The newspaper industry, though, will have shrunk significantly in terms of circulation, readers, and advertising revenue. The newspaper industry as we know it will never be what it was. The strongest will nevertheless survive. The skilled journalists and media outlets will enjoy increased following and will continue to influence. Their voices will provide authoritative points of view, which will stand above the general media chatter. Traditional news and social media will be entwined in a real-time multimedia format, covering issues small and large with a rigour and eagerness not seen before.

What are your top tips for publications looking to survive this upheaval?

A lot has been said about finding ways to reinvent themselves to find their place in the new media landscape. I believe traditional media should focus on their key strength which is strong journalism. Strong journalism providing objective and honest views has enormous value with such prolific developments as social media.  From my perspective, I believe the traditional media channels need to focus on being the best possible. Strong journalism will always hold value and the respected voices providing objective and honest views will always be sought for. Objectivity, rigour, and insight will be welcomed more than ever. By harnessing the traditional strength of journalism, today's media can take its rightful position in tomorrow's new media landscape. And along the way create a thriving and sound business