The Future of Newspapers-Extinction?
By Jackie O’Neal
By Jackie O’Neal
When was the last time you picked up a newspaper and devoured it from cover to cover? Personally, I still enjoy this activity as one of the best ways to unwind despite the negative news of late within some of the editions, yet I may be an anomaly because the Pew Center For Research is identifying a trend which appears to be unquestionable– fewer Americans are reading print newspapers as more depend on the internet for their news. And while the percentage of people who read newspapers online is growing rapidly, especially among younger generations, that growth has not offset the decline in print readership.
Statistics estimate that overall newspaper readership declined in spite of an increase in the number of people reading online newspapers: here are some numbers to consider: 14% of Americans said they read a newspaper online yesterday, up from 9% in 2006. This includes those who said they read only a newspaper online (9% in 2008), as well as those who said they read both print and Web versions of a newspaper (5%).
Yet, I find the sensory experience of holding a newspaper in my hands far more rewarding than reading news online. I don’t even mind getting newspaper print on my fingers because I know I can get accurate information most of the time anyway, and can follow in-depth investigative stories. Let’s just say, reading the newspaper is so deeply embedded in my psyche, I just can’t give it up so easily. I even stop at newspaper stands just to read headlines, a habit my husband finds unnerving.
On a personal note, the complete extinction of newspapers would deprive me of one of the most stimulating pursuits. When I lived in New York City while I taught Public School and attended graduate school at Sarah Lawrence College, I enjoyed the ritual of walking a block or two to the newspaper stand to buy the Sunday Times late Saturday evening. And then there was the pleasure of reading the edition from cover to cover which is what many New Yorkers did, and probably still do late Saturday night or Sunday morning.
According to Paul Conti, a former news director perhaps these rituals are now almost gone too.
He affirmed that in the past, executives tended to reason that as 20- somethings aged into 30-somethings, they would pick up the newspaper habit. "That isn’t happening. And, it isn’t likely to change. Readership will continue to erode, probably at an even faster pace than today”.
He also disagrees with government intervention towards saving local editions- raising the question: How can the press be free and independent if the U.S. Treasury is writing their checks?"
He affirmed that in the past, executives tended to reason that as 20- somethings aged into 30-somethings, they would pick up the newspaper habit. "That isn’t happening. And, it isn’t likely to change. Readership will continue to erode, probably at an even faster pace than today”.
He also disagrees with government intervention towards saving local editions- raising the question: How can the press be free and independent if the U.S. Treasury is writing their checks?"
It is alarming to note that due to economic uncertainty and increasing debt, many publishers have closed local print newspapers, and it is truly sad to hear about those closings so regularly today. Recently, Anglea Pang one of the editors of The Asian Weekly based in San Francisco, told me they will only be printing news stories online and have eliminated the print edition. It appears like many other outlets, they are switching to an online format now as a way to keep moving forward. Recently, I read a a media release that noted some state lawmakers have considered seeking government support in a last ditch effort to save local media outlets, yet some only see government intervention as posing a conflict of interest to free press and democracy, although in the short-term alleviate some of the financial strain newspapers are facing.
Some have said government intervention towards saving local editions only raises the question: How can the press be free and independent if the U.S. Treasury is writing their checks?
When I visited the Palo Alto Weekly in California recently, Jay Thorwaldson, the editor said he thought it would be difficult for anyone to figure out exactly the direction journalism is headed in faced with predicament the newspaper industry is mired in now.
It forced me to realize that with, or without government intervention, and perhaps as we move into a brave, new era, we need to consider what others have said, about needing to propose a public newspaper as a companion to public radio and television, if the reality of print newspapers were to become extinct.
Maybe it’s too early to determine how publicly-owned newspapers will affect the quality of journalism. The financial demands of a public corporation are thought by many in journalism to adversely affect quality, particularly by forcing a reduction of expensive, long-term reporting projects such as investigative reporting. Studies have found that publicly owned and privately owned newspapers were far more alike than different in both the amount and types of news coverage, each being primarily dependent on local content produced by their own staffs.
Butt the public newspaper speculation of this issue is one worthy of pursuit, if we truly value the power of being well-informed citizens. The question still remains whether the public will continue to be as well informed by accessing the internet. I agree with Eduardo Porter editorial writer for The New York Times who said letting newspapers go on the expectation that the Internet will enable a better informed citizenry seems risky because the only entities that spend weeks on investigations and fighting for freedom of information on a highly needed scale, are newspapers.
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