The newspaper industry hit record lows in 2009. The Internet can largely be blamed for their failures. The Internet offers many benefits papers don't. Getting news online also comes without a cost.
People don't want to pay for their news. The Internet gives news that's fast, convenient, and free. Newspapers simply can't compete with those benefits.
Newspapers are also viewed as yesterdays news. Americans don't want to be the last to know anything. Using the Internet, the latest news is just a click away.
Online news is not the only media that's killing newspapers. Television is also contributing largely to their demise. Similar to the Internet, TV has the ability to give viewers fresh news instantly.
The newspaper industry today is comparable to standard TV in the 1980's, when cable really took off. The Internet and cable TV provide viewers with the specific areas of news and entertainment they desire. What used to be considered part of a news broadcast, can now be the entire show. A paper has a sports section but there are 24-hour sports channels available that are updated by the minute.
We are certainly living in the information age. There is a vast array of information available at our fingertips. But are we more informed?
In order to be an active citizen of democracy we need to be informed about government and society. The success of the Internet and cable technology has led to many viewers not getting the full story. If your more conservative, for example, you probably go to more conservative websites and watch more conservative news shows.
Having multiple news choices allows for a more enjoyable news viewing experience but can lead to a one sided viewpoint.
No comments:
Post a Comment