Will Seberger's Page

From the trenches: A working journalist's vision for the future of print journalism In the beginning, there was profit... The news publishing industry is perhaps one of the greatest business symbioses in human history. Or, it was for a long time. It was at once a voice of democracy, enlightenment and entertainment to its readers, and the best delivery vehicle for mass marketing available at the time. Whether the journalism we see in our communities today is good or garbag… Continue

It seems that every day I find myself reading that newsroom talent is getting dumped in nearly every market. Surely there are people out there, now jobless, who recognize the nonmonetary value of the job, as well as the potential for revenue, who wouldn't dream of leaving the biz. A wise man once told me that necessity is the mother of invention. No doubt the smart minds, now jobless, are the same people that will develop the new business model that will carry our important profession into the… Continue

I've been getting bored, or is annoyed the right word, recently with the endless segregation of 'Web' and 'print' content in this industry. It's everywhere. "...Shooting video for the Web." "...Writing for the blog." It seems like everyone's doing it from community papers to national giants. Such statements are rife in organizations populated by members of the media, showing it's not just a corporate-induced groupthink. Today, the NPPA announced the Best of Photojournalism 2008 Web Video Winn… Continue

I'm a freelance photog, so much of my life is spent pitching stories to various publishers in the hope that someone will pick them up. The real problem is that, assuming I can find anyone to run them, they often get mangled or outright killed in the budgeting/editing process. I know the industry is in shrink mode, but there are still stories that need to be told. So what are some good sources of funding (grants) to help me do what I want to do?