The Hot Seat: NonDoc's Tres Savage Shares Insights On Journalism's Challenges And The Future

In a candid conversation with Scott Mitchell, Tres Savage, the editor-in-chief of NonDoc.com, delved into the complexities facing the journalism industry today. Savage's recent "birthday rant" article, which touched on a range of issues, sparked an insightful discussion on the evolving landscape of media.

Embracing the "Grumpy Old Man" Persona

Savage explained that the "birthday rant" is a unique tradition at nondoc, where each staff member is given the opportunity to share their personal perspectives and help the public get to know the journalists behind the bylines.

Savage's own 40th birthday rant focused on a list of 40 "gripes" about various topics, which he felt compelled to write despite his busy schedule.

"When it was my turn for a birthday rant, I turned 40, and it was back in October, and I thought, you know I barely have time for an existential crisis, much less to put together a column about something I want to opine on. And then it hit me that maybe I could do a list of 40 short things for my 40th birthday."

The Problematic Nature of Paywalls

One of the issues Savage addressed in his rant was the growing prevalence of paywalls in the journalism industry. As the leader of a nonprofit news organization, Savage expressed his concerns about the effectiveness of this model.

"Well, as a nonprofit journalism organization, I guess our development director, Tara McMillen Hall, who also has a birthday rant due coming up on opportunity, she would probably tell me, I need to be asking for money more. But no, I mean, I just think that we've reached a situation in journalism where the paywall experiment right has has we have enough data to analyze how that exists."

Savage emphasized that the data shows paywalls continue to negatively impact revenue and lead to job losses in the industry.

He believes that journalism should prioritize the reader's best interest and that everyone deserves access to important civic information.

The Future of Journalism

Acknowledging the changing market forces, Savage highlighted the need for journalism organizations to adapt to the evolving landscape. As a nonprofit news outlet, nondoc has taken a different approach, focusing on accessible and reader-centric journalism.

Savage's insights shed light on the complex challenges facing the journalism industry, from the effectiveness of paywalls to the evolving needs of readers.

As the media landscape continues to transform, his perspective offers a glimpse into the future of news and the role of nonprofit journalism in serving the public.