PREAMBLE: The Journo Manifesto

Every individual of every age, origin, orientation, and description deserves multiple inalienable human rights including the fulfillment of all basic human needs; the freedom of thought, action, and movement; the pursuit of self-actualization in all of its manifestations; and the freedom to seek, engage, create and share ideas in all forms through all manner across all frontiers.

There are real and measurable, tangible and intangible, financial and otherwise returns (ROI) to individuals and society generated by the investment of resources (human, financial and resources) to news gathering efforts. Current and future investment of resources into news gathering efforts are so severely threatened by technological, economic, political, and market change forces that the future sustainability of a free press system is in clear and present danger. 

This existential threat to a free press system marks the death of incrementalism, and the advent of mega change at the macro level including transformations of the press system’s revenue models, content, audience, channel, production, personnel, legal environment, and technological developments.   

These transformations must be vigorously pursued through the creation and stabilization of partnerships among media-related organizations from local to global levels; the galvanization of educational efforts targeting both the production and consumption of news; widespread litigation; redistribution of journalism-based revenues; sweeping marketing and publicity campaigns; and systemic political changes.