Media Career Development Specialist, Lekan Otufodunrin reviews the trend of many journalists launching general interest websites and offers his candid view on options to consider.
When I resigned from The Nation Newspaper in December 2018, some of my colleagues assumed that starting my own news website will be one of my options.
They had good reasons to think so, considering my experience as an online editor and online publishing which dates back to 2000 when I launched Nigeria Online Christian News distributed by email.
Also, for many years, I have been publishing media reports on the website of the Media Career Services, now Media Career Development Network.
However, I had my plans mapped out as I explained in my article announcing my exit from The Nation after 13 year’s work in the company and was not going to be distracted by the in-thing of many journalists owning their own general interest websites. Looking back now, I am glad I didn’t.
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Launching a website to continue maximising their media expertise and experience is indeed the best option for some journalists who have moved on from where they used to work, as it is globally.
I’m glad that the Nigerian media landscape has been enriched with more options for audiences with the new websites and digital platforms. Some have made a success of their online publishing endeavours while many are still battling to survive.
One issue that should be considered in finding solutions to the sustainability of digital publishing is the trend of almost everyone thinking he/she should own his/her own website.
As tempting as this option appears for many, they really need to be sure it’s the best thing to do. They need a full understanding of what online publishing is and what it involves if they want to earn revenue from it.
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It’s necessary to have the resources for the kind of long-term investment required to build a digital online company and not just have a website for routine content.
Coming up with a website name, having a domain registered and publishing content is not a big deal, but sustaining the platform for long is the main task.
There are many expenses involved which may not be obvious initially, especially because many don’t have a proper business plan and don’t take time to understudy existing ones.
What is required for successful online publishing is not what many individuals can afford both in terms of resources and know-how. This is why some journalists who think owning their own website is a good decision may be making a mistake they may regret.
While those who can fund what is required, including hiring necessary personnel and paying other bills, can decide to go into it alone, it may be necessary to explore joint ownerships and collaborations.
Combining years of experience, resources and connections may be a better idea to ensure many individuals don’t dissipate their resources and energy. Many existing platforms will be more formidable if they have more than one person trying to run them.
I know how hard it is for friends and former colleagues to trust themselves to have a joint business. I know those who have tried unsuccessfully and broke up, but we must try harder if many of the digital publishing businesses in the country must survive.
There is more to running a successful online publishing company than getting stories and uploading them on websites. It’s a serious business and must be approached with that understanding.
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There is strength in unity. Collaboration can take us further than where we can get to on an individual’s effort. Shared ownership at whatever percentage to co-owners and founders is the secret of many top organisations. Sometimes, mergers and acquisitions are the way out for struggling businesses.
All of us cannot be founders and chief executive officers. Some of us are better at managing websites owned by people who have the resources to fund them. Some of us can work in various capacities on websites we don’t own.
Some of us can even have niche websites focusing on issues we have deep knowledge about contacts on, instead of publishing general websites with mainly copy and paste content.
