Society today reaches for immediacy because it is always at their fingertips, and by this I mean online. Sports updates, the ever-changing weather, what is happening worldwide, upcoming events, tragedies, all of which are available online. The best part? Cost-free. Quality and complete accuracy are hardly issues when immediacy takes the front seat.
Internet news has reflected print news big time in ways including timeliness and cost. People can hop online anywhere, literally. Thanks to smart phones, lap tops, Wi-Fi, and other easy ways to get on the Internet. Thus, people are easily able to get the latest breaking news anytime, at any place for free! There are even options to have updates of news or weather sent straight to you phone and applications for iPhone and Blackberry products, among others. Not to mention, anything free is appealing to people today. Getting the news cost-free as opposed to paying for each individual paper you buy, or a whole sum for a subscription seems much more alluring. This being the case, it seems to be a surprise that not more newspapers are completely out of business. The truth is, papers still get revenue to run. From where? The classifieds. People pay for space in the paper, for days at a time, and sometimes are even charged by word or line. Yet, with this becoming more prominent in the newspaper world, the newspaper regime as we have all known it is truly falling.
When it comes to time, it seems nobody has any. This is why the immediacy of online news is what makes it so popular. It used to be that everyone received the paper every morning, and that was how they knew what was going on in the world around them. With the invention of the Internet made accessible to anyone anywhere, there is no need to wait for the paper and fumble through to find what you’re looking for.
There is the question, however, of is the Internet really as full of insider information as the newspaper? The answer is debatable. From the newspaper companies, no. Most want to reward actual paper-readers in such a way that they give more in-depth or more detailed information in the paper. Also, a daily paper only prints once every 24 hours, giving the company time to get accurate information. While the internet may have more sources easily accessible at one time, the paper gives you all that you need to know in one article on your specific topic, and if the story progresses over time, the paper company has more time to investigate and get insider information. Not to mention, newspaper companies normally have long-established reputations, thus making their attention appealing to companies and people who want to get their stories out there.
With the rise and domination of the Internet, what does the newspaper even mean to our culture? Well, tradition. The paper is history every single day. It’s classic. It puts the picture of dad reading the paper while mom makes the coffee in my head. How many times has the obnoxious paperboy character appeared in books and movies? To me, it means Sunday coupons. Many companies also give incentive to newspaper readers in their coupons and discounts found only in the newspaper, unavailable online, and for a college student today, those coupons are gold.
Another thing worth mentioning, which I recently learned from my dad who has made his career in the journalism (advertising) world (so he is a credible source), is the fact that some TV and online news companies come directly from the newspaper itself. A prime example: the local news station TMJ4. Ever wonder what that stands for? The Milwaukee Journal, of course! And another: the Chicago-popular WGN? Well, run by the Chicago Tribune, also self-proclaimed as World’s Greatest Newspaper. Since his company is looking to pitch an ad campaign to MJS, we also recently had a discussion about how to get daily papers to get revenue from their online news. According to reuters.com, “Experts say the future looks grim if publishers of the country's more than 1,400 daily papers do not find a way to make money from the news they provide online.” All that we need is one newspaper to figure out how to gain from online news, and every other newspaper company can start to succeed again.
So, what’s the harm in picking up an actual paper for once? I know, I know, being in college and having to pay for one more thing is not what anyone wants or needs. I, myself, have never been much of a newspaper advocate or discriminator for that matter, but in the past year or so, I have grown a deep appreciation for the paper. Maybe it’s the tangibility that signals my brain that what I am reading is true, or it wouldn’t be there in the black and white print in my hands. Or maybe it’s just the coupons. Either way, despite the all-free, dominating Internet, I suggest you try the newspaper for a while. I think you’ll find you enjoy it, and, in the process, you may be helping the downfall of the newspaper and avoiding a regrettable loss.
Some research from http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE52F03520090316
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091018/SPORT/710179937/1374
No comments:
Post a Comment