ABSTRACT
In this study, we explore blockchain’s potential to make journalism a more sustainable business. By reflecting on the relative advantage attribute of the diffusion of innovations theory by Rogers, this study assesses whether a blockchain-based newsroom model can compete against the traditional centralised model. As a case study, we explore Civil, a blockchain-based protocol that aims to use cryptoeconomics to incentivise the production of quality journalistic content. We conclude that the main relative advantage of a Civil newsroom model is the ability to enhance news credibility. The protocol achieves this by allowing a greater degree of decentralisation, equality, transparency and accountability, which collectively reduce the influence of intermediaries such as advertisers, gatekeepers and media owners. Since Civil and blockchain technology in general are in early stages of development and face many challenges, we argue that it is too early to predict the success of this model and find it useful to track the progress of Civil and similar platforms over time. We hope that the conclusions drawn from this study bring awareness to this domain and initiate scholarly curiosity in how this technology may have an impact on the future of journalism.
