Internet Killed the Newspaper Star

It’s no surprise newspapers and print media in general are on the fritz: with modern day technologies of the internet and other devices, people are less inclined to physically handle newspapers but rather interact with news online or via television. In fact, according to a recent survey by The Washington Post, only 13 percent of Americans now buy a daily newspaper. But is it safe to let a 300 year old business die out? Many say yes, and some even go as far as to call it a “rebirth of journalism.”

The first major positive that internet journalism has over newspapers is the ability to be timelier. Internet websites and news blogs can post an event or news story within the next few minutes of it happening, pictures included! Newspapers have daily issues, and television has breaking reports, but neither come close to the speed that internet connections supply.

Internet news companies and bloggers also offer the convenience of having free services. Most news websites provide free public access to stories and events, the same that would be covered in a daily newspaper. With only 13 percent of the nation actually buying daily newspapers, companies are also saving on printing and producing costs associated with running a business.

Lastly, newspaper companies can jump on the bandwagon and “go green.” By “going green” I mean embracing technological advances such as the internet and nixing those costlier ones. Not only will the newspaper industry save more money, they will also please customers with more environmentally friendly services, and add an extra little skip in TreeHuggers steps everywhere.

It’s no question that newspapers and society are closely intertwined. The sad fact is that the business model of “You’re gonna miss us when we’re gone!” isn’t going to work on our democratic society. I think blogger Clay Shirky puts it best when he said: “Society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism.”