The print media’s days are numbered and TV is for entertainment. The future will see consumers deriving news from a variety of sources in an interactive way where everybody can participate in the dissemination without the aid of pompous journalists
I’ve heard a lot of talk lately about the death of the newspaper. The argument goes something like this: A democracy needs a well-informed citizenry to be able to stay strong and viable. A citizenry needs reliable sources of news like newspapers to stay well-informed. Newspapers are in decline. Blogs and other Internet content are not reliable. A world with too few newspapers will not be able to inform the citizenry and therefore democracy will be at risk.
Sounds scary, rightIJ I’m a member of what many call the “digital native” generation. I grew up with computers and feel comfortable using social media, adapting to new technologies, and getting some of my news online. But I can be old fashioned too. One of my favorite sources of news is the radio, and I love curling up with a cup of coffee and a newspaper on the weekends. So, it’s fair to say that I was not taking the predictions of the death of newspapers lightly
Then, I saw a clip on television that made me rethink this disaster-scenario assumption. Essentially the presenters suggest that a future where news is obtained from a variety of sources that allow readers to comment and add to the conversation (namely, blogs) is simply a return to the same media landscape that existed around the time of the American Revolution when there were pamphlets and a large number of independent newspapers that also solicited feedback.
Today, they argue, is just a return to the “many voices” model of the past, and bloggers are simply modern-day pamphleteers. So, are we worried about the possible death of the newspaper for nothingIJ Americans are often criticised for too easily forgetting the past, is the frenzy over online news sources and the decline of newspapers simply a case of having forgotten what once wasIJ Is a world with fewer newspapers but more alternative sources of news (sources that are sometimes deemed as not reliable) good or bad for democracyIJ Nobody can have all the answers to these questions, but I definitely feel optimistic about our future media outlook. As long as there are enough people who like to curl up with the Sunday paper and a cup of coffee, I have to believe that at least some of the printed news will survive.
As of the end of 2010, more people get their news from the Internet than from newspapers — and more ad dollars went to online outlets than to newspapers, too. In surveys conducted by the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, 34 percent of respondents said they read news online within the past 24 hours (as opposed to 31% who favored newspapers); and a full 41% said they get most of their news online, 10% more than those who said they got most of their news from a newspaper.
Of course, the 18-to-29-year-old group overwhelmingly cast their vote with the web; 65% said the Internet was their main news source.Pew’s annual State of the Media report showed that the web was the second most popular source of news; local television news is still the number one source for the majority of people. local TV also led in revenues, with digital media coming in second.
Also, online news media was the only medium that saw growth year-over-year; from radio to television to newspapers and magazines, every other medium saw a decline in audience. In general, it can be said that text-based news audiences are dwindling. Only 40% of people in the study said they read the news in an online or print newspaper, a 12% drop from five years ago. last year marks the first time online advertising outpaced newspaper advertising. The sector grew 13.9% between 2009 and 2010 to reach a $25.8 billion total. Not all of that Ad spend went to online news publications; in fact, search advertising continues to dominate the online Ad spend landscape.
We’ve been watching the web’s impact on journalism for quite some time — both how the Internet is affecting newsrooms and newspapers. Many media houses are beefing up their online and mobile strategies even as print sales decline, the figures from Pew’s research are nostalgia-inducing and predictable at the same time.
After all, once the New York Times admits print’s days are numbered, it’s pretty much a long, slow and painful downward spiral to the point that the newspaper, like the vinyl record, is a relic for collectors and anachronisms.
For now, though, we continue to look forward. The Pew Project’s research showed that almost half of Americans in a survey said they got at least some of their news on a mobile device or tablet. And as tablet makers, app makers and news outlets continue to perfect the news consumption experience on that form factor, we’ll have a whole new breed to analyze and fret over this time next year.
(Written exclusively for Saturday Special)