Newspapers have been drying up and blowing away. Both large and small magazines are folding, even newsmagazines are in trouble. The main cause is that advertisers won't pay for ad space any longer: inexpensive or free advertising can be obtained immediately on the internet today.
Newspapers can't compete with those rates. In order to stay in business and make a profit, there has to be a paying benefactor. Consumers cannot make up the difference even though most print readers are baby-boomers and make up a huge percent of the population.
So what happens now? What's to become of cub reporters, "old hand" editors and the freelance bloggers of the world? Invisible Inkling website writer Ryan Sholin, graduate student of San Jose State University, reveals the harsh reality of the news business today with some general tips for all in his article 10 obvious things about the future of newspapers you need to get through your head.
Sholin states that the future of the news is here and there will be no more whining about it. It's not Google or Craigslist's fault. Local papers need to run local features. Journalists have to be multi-taskers: they should be able to shoot AP quality photos, use software like In Design and edit their own work. They should incorporate major media delivery carriers like Twitter and RSS feeds as soon as they become available to the press. Online news delivery, archived article and photos should always be free to view. Journalism school professors need to stay updated with the latest media technology and be teaching the same to their students. Those who protest new media methods face the other option: being cut from the force.
Sholin is not alone in his theory: journalism instructor Mindy McAdams also suggests similar types of work strategies for journalists in her blog Teaching Online Journalism.
It's a "sink or swim" scenario, and only the strongest and fittest news publications will survive. According to Sholin, adding online content like the Washington Post and the San Jose Mercury News have done is necessary for making news available to both internet viewers and print readers. This business model has proven itself to be popular.
No, these general tips do not solve the issues of obtaining additional revenue for news publications or magazines. Nor do they win the bloggers' battle for equality in the journalism world.
Yet, it's a start. Since the news will always be a valuable commodity, it will eventually have its rightful place be it on paper, plastic or in cyberspace. There will always be news and a need for someone to report it.
Good job on this piece.
ReplyDeleteI think two words you used epitomize the current news conflict: valuable commodity. Is news valuable, or do people see it as a commodity?
Fix: To stay in business (delete "in order")
10/10
I don't see the "Runaway Truck" story that was due last week -- did you miss it?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYes, I missed it- I thought it was the TNS we covered already. I backtracked, did the work and posted it.
ReplyDeleteI am concerned about this assignment's points: some students getting up to 20 points, but some of us are only getting up to 10 points. Please help!
Thanks!