Navigating the future of food journalism: six key challenges and solutions

Credit: Photo by Jannis Brandt on Unsplash

This is the second two-part series about the state – and future – of food journalism and food media. Read Part One here.

The journalism and food industries are both undergoing a quiet revolution, each sector grappling with significant transformations led by evolving consumer preferences and tech-led changes in production methods.

These developments underscore why food media and food journalism need a refresh. Here are six core issues that content creators need to consider and address.

Tackling misinformation

Problem: Globally, concerns about misinformation are widespread, and coverage of food is far from immune to this sentiment. Witness, for example, the emergence of wellness gurus on social media, and trends such as the move to drink raw (i.e. unpasteurised) milk, driven by TikTok.

According to the latest Digital News Report, "...audience concerns about misinformation are often driven less by news that is completely 'made up' and more about seeing opinions and agendas that they may disagree with – as well as journalism they regard as superficial and unsubstantiated."

Solutions: With trust in media close to record lows in the US and elsewhere, this issue goes beyond any single beat, reflecting a broader crisis in media credibility. Aside from clear and accurate reporting, journalists should also show how stories have been developed, sourced and fact-checked.

The Trusting News projects many transferable tips and ideas that food outlets can remix and adapt. Meanwhile, Emily Davies of The Washington Post adroitly uses Instagram to offer a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting. Journalists can learn from these sources to deploy approaches that enrich and deepen their content, while also showing how – and why – it is trustworthy.

Addressing economic pressures

Problem: At many media outlets, traditional revenue streams continue to be under strain. To counter this, news publishers have long needed to diversify their income streams.

In many cases, this has led to a shift to reader revenue and focus on subscriptions. However, with so much free food content available online audiences may quickly move on when they hit a paywall. Given this, there cannot be an overreliance on growing reader revenues solely through subscriptions.

Solutions: Faced with a cornucopia of culinary-inspired riches, outlets must look beyond advertising and subscriptions, to explore memberships, events, and strategic partnerships. Examples include cookbooks, branded kitchen equipment, cooking and health events, as well as meal delivery services.

Core content also needs to be distinctive. It has to add real value to attract – and retain – subscribers. Unique, fresh content is key not just to sustaining new revenue streams, but also to preserving older ones.

Enhancing diversity and inclusion

Problem: As outlined in the first part of this series, food journalism has long struggled with a lack of diversity.

Underrepresentation - by no means unique to this beat - leads to a narrow view of food narratives, often centred around mainstream, Western (and White) perspectives. As a result, entire cultures and cuisines are underrepresented, underreported or misunderstood.

Solutions: As with all beats, actively seeking and promoting diverse voices is crucial to creating more representative, inclusive and relevant content.

This means featuring a wider range of stories and ensuring that editorial teams - well as the freelancers and other creatives - reflect a diversity of backgrounds. To stay on track, tools like source audits and NPR’s source questionnaire, coupled with learning from initiatives such as the BBC and ABC News 50:50 projects, can all help.

Mixing things up - embracing digital transformation

Problem: The shift to digital media has delivered opportunities and challenges. The demand for quick, clickable content often results in superficial coverage, with depth and accuracy sacrificed for speed. It has also made this landscape more competitive than ever. Low barriers to entry have enabled a plethora of new creators to emerge, eating many traditional food journalists’ metaphorical lunch.

Solutions: Investing in digital storytelling is essential, and that increasingly means short-form video. Partnering with creators and influencers who understand this space – many of whom can bring their audience to your brand – is one way to boost your digital profile.

At the same time, other mediums that you might not think necessarily lend themselves to food – like audio and podcasting – should not be discounted.

Competitor analysis, reader feedback, social media interactions, and wider analytics also need to be on the menu if you want to keep your digital offerings on course.

Upholding and emphasising ethical standards

Problem: Balancing commercial interests with traditional journalistic values can be challenging across beats such as food, travel, reviews and product recommendations.

As branded content and sponsorships become more prominent, the risk of conflicts of interest – or perceptions of them – increases. More than ever, newsrooms need to carefully guard against content being influenced by commercial partnerships.

Solutions: Clear ethical guidelines are essential. These are not just internal documents. They must be prominently displayed so that audiences can see and understand them too.

Media providers also need to do more than just put their guidelines online. Terms of engagement must be regularly communicated too. That means boilerplate disclaimers on articles and videos, detailed FAQs, and responding to questions through AMAs and other methods.

Checking in with your audience regularly, to make sure that your code of conduct and ethical principles are understood by them, as well as your newsroom, should also be part of your workflow.

Educating and engaging consumers

Problem: Arguably, journalists can do more to help tackle major societal issues such as the rise in obesity and knowledge gaps about food production, sourcing, and nutrition. The impacts of food and farming choices on natural resources and food systems also need to be addressed.

Solutions: Food journalists and media outlets have a vital role to play in consumer education, breaking down complex into accessible narratives. After all, topics like sustainable farming, nutrition, and food sourcing affect everyone.

There is an opportunity to go beyond recipes and reviews to tackle issues such as supply chains, labour practices and the impact of climate change. In short, food stories can be found in any beat. And any beat can be incorporated into your food media.

Engaging, interactive, storytelling can make this information more digestible and actionable for consumers. It can still be done objectively. But, if these efforts stray into advocacy, I would suggest audiences are less concerned about this than you might be.

Moving forward

The future of food journalism and food media requires us to blend innovation with core journalistic values. That means crafting rich, compelling stories while confronting major challenges such as misinformation, evolving business models, and the urgent need for greater diversity and digital transformation.

Collaboration - whether with other media outlets, content creators, or educational institutions – is likely to be at the heart of many of these efforts.

In each of these areas, media leaders need to stay the course and offer a long-term commitment to change, rather than a series of eye-catching, flash-in-the-pan initiatives. By embracing new tools, platforms, and perspectives, we can ensure that food journalism remains a vibrant, vital and trusted source for consumers.

Underpinning all of this should be a commitment to impact. Promoting societal change – in the form of policy, consumer and business behaviours – has always been at the heart of what journalism does. And in many areas of the food beat, this is needed more than ever.

The journey ahead may be a rocky road, but there is a great opportunity to reshape the future of food journalism. Get it right, and, who knows, maybe we – and those who consume what we create – really can have our cake and eat it.

Damian Radcliffe is the Carolyn S. Chambers professor of journalism at the University of Oregon and a three-time Knight News Innovation fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. He recently led a month-long study abroad program for US students exploring food journalism in France.

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