Mike van Niekerk interview: Future of journalism series »

The Editor’s Weblog is running a series of articles on the future of journalism. First off is Mike van Niekerk, editor-in-chief of online for Fairfax Media (Sydney Morning Herald, The Age).

Do you believe in the increasingly active role of the user in the news process, and is a threat or an opportunity for professional journalists?

… We must be careful not to allow our better instincts drowned out by what one thinks the audience wants. For example, stories about Britney Spears are regularly highly rated on our websites. Those kinds of stories can be a temptation, but we must be careful about upholding our brand values.

Do you consider the Golden Age of investigative journalism is already past, or just beginning?

I have to be very cautious with this answer. The economics of new media make it very difficult to fund investigative journalism in the same way it once was. If you’re talking about the kind of journalism that keeps governments and corporations at check, I am concerned about its sustainability in the future.

Related: the ABC is launching a whole bunch of hyperlocal regional sites, populated by repurposed existing ABC news content, and user generated content, and is setting up a continuous news desk in Ultimo.