The ways in which we obtain our news information has changed dramatically over the past decade. Readers went from going outside to pick up their copy of the local newspaper and enjoying it over a cup of coffee, to ending their subscriptions and viewing the news online, sometimes from a PDA or smart phone.
The Demise of the Newspaper can be credited to technology. It is much easier and cheaper to just read the news online than go through an entire newspaper. Not to mention, you can easily filter through the stories that do not interest you online and find a better one within seconds. In a printed newspaper, the reader must flip through the different sections of the paper and then find the article within that section.
However, the decline of the newspaper does mean great things for our democracy and freedom of speech. Most online news articles offer room for comments and opinions of the readers. Readers are able to share their opinion on the matter publicly and anonymously. When reading online news articles, I always read the commentary left at the bottom. Some of the best insights are found there.
Thestar.com states that two decades ago newspaper daily subscriptions were 10 million more than they are now, and that number is only falling. While the effect that the decline on newspaper sales has on the economy, from a “green” standpoint this is beneficial consequence. No longer will endless amounts of day-old newspapers be thrown to waste. Instead, the American people get their news virtually.
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/200650
http://www.dividendgrowthinvestor.com/2009/02/demise-of-newspaper-industry.html
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It is easy to pin technology as the main suspect in the demise of the newspaper. Especially now, with technology such as iPhones and web books, the internet is accessable in just about everywhere the newspaper is. On top of that, the internet's set up makes the process interactive... readers can instantly post feedback. You are potentially opened up to many different and enlightening points of view. It really is amazing.
ReplyDeleteBut this freedom comes at a price. I also believe that the fall of the newspaper is a threat to the profession of journalism. Bloggers are taking the work of reporters, many of them unpaid and untrained "citizen journalists". In a "My Turn" essay on the Newsweek website, aspiring journalist April K. Fields explains her struggle and panic saying, "all the publications here are laying off, not hiring". Students like ourselves may soon be facing this bleek future upon graduating college. http://www.newsweek.com/id/194996
I also agree that the fall of newspapers is a great development environmentally. One week's worth of the average sunday paper takes thousands of trees to make. Although using the internet uses electricity, the environmental impact is a lot smaller.
Really, the newspaper just needs to find its niche. If the profession and the newspaper itself are in danger of fading into nothing if they are not willing and able to evolve.
Online news is definitely an agent for change that offers alternative sources of information to corporate media. And the forum it provides the public to discuss, debate and interact with the reporter is a valuable tool in refining a news story.
ReplyDeleteYet there is also a downside to the democratization of the news. Anyone can post a malicious or offensive article without fear of judgement because it is done anonymously.
Silverblatt states that,"there is no way to verify information on authors, including their background, credentials and possible motives for contributing." Accountability as well as a forfeiture of citation is permitted because the author has no professional or social credibility to uphold.
While such occurances may be few, they still threaten the objective nature of journalism.
Of course every new technology has its side effects and this is only one among few. One positive side effect which you note is the decline in trash that would ultimately occur because of less newspaper waste.
The digital age may mean a loss of the nostalgic but it will certainly mean more interaction and debate of our news. And recently there has been a law enacted in Congress which extends protection for journalists to bloggers involved in the news writing process.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/shield-law-compromise-would-protect-reporters-bloggers/?scp=8&sq=blogs,%20law&st=cse