ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a framework for understanding production, distribution, and exhibition of content in the news industry. Convergence is at the heart of much of what takes place, and convergence is both the blessing and the curse of executives who are trying to make money in what has become a very challenging landscape for doing that. The aim of this chapter is to provide a snapshot of the newspaper industry at this scary point in its history and to address the following questions: What historical influences shaped the newspaper business as we know it? How do print and online newspapers work today—and why are online versions bringing in so much less revenue than their print counterparts? What are newspaper firms trying to keep print going and make their digital versions profitable? And if these attempts fail, are there socially useful alternatives to the traditional newspaper industry?
