Joint Operating Agreement in Journalism
- 14/02/2022
A joint operating agreement (JOA) is a legal contract that allows two or more newspaper companies to combine their operations while still maintaining separate editorial and reporting operations. This agreement mainly focuses on the business side of newspapers, such as advertising and distribution, while the newsroom operations remain separate.
The main goal of a JOA is to help struggling newspapers stay afloat by sharing the expenses of printing and distribution. The agreement allows each newspaper to keep its own editorial voice and content, which helps to maintain journalistic integrity and independence.
The history of JOAs in journalism can be traced back to the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970. This act was passed in response to the economic pressures affecting the newspaper industry at the time. The act allows for JOAs to be established as long as they meet certain criteria, including showing that the agreement is necessary to maintain a diversity of editorial opinion in a community.
There are several benefits to JOAs in journalism. One of the main benefits is that it allows newspapers to maintain their editorial independence while still sharing costs and resources. This helps to ensure that a variety of viewpoints are represented in a community, which is essential for a healthy democracy.
JOAs also help to prevent the consolidation of newspapers, which can lead to monopolies and decrease competition in the marketplace. By allowing smaller newspapers to survive, JOAs promote competition and diversity in the media landscape.
However, there are also some potential drawbacks to JOAs. Critics argue that they can lead to decreased quality of journalism, as newspapers may be more focused on cost-cutting than producing high-quality content. Additionally, JOAs can lead to decreased diversity in ownership, as larger newspaper companies may take over smaller ones.
Overall, JOAs are an important tool for newspapers to survive and maintain editorial independence in an ever-changing media landscape. By carefully balancing the business side of newspapers with their journalistic mission, JOAs can help to ensure that communities have access to diverse and high-quality news sources.