The Future of Print Media, Part 2 of 4

Media is a part of our everyday lives, whether it is in the form of news or entertainment we are exposed to it very frequently. Over the past few years, the media has seen a great number of changes. Now, news and television shows are seen online from cell phones, and from computers. With these new changes, questions of the past elements of media are going unanswered. Print media first came into relevance in this country in 1690 and has recently seen a decrease in importance. While both new media and print media are believed to be on equal playing fields, new media continues to flourish, whereas print media seems to be fading into the abyss while staying focused on its rehabilitation and survival, print media is consumed with concerns of its future. 

Print media has been a staple in American culture for years and has become a traditional method of obtaining information. The first newspaper published in America was Publick Occurrences on September 25, 1690. Originally, the newspaper featured crimes and human interest stories. The newspaper also created a platform for a better democracy, in which the public became more informed. Almost 320 years of traditional print is starting to be phased out by new media. Print media has a history that will never die, from the penny press to yellow journalism, print media has shaped the way we report and receive our information. In the industry, there seems to be a divide among its players, many feel that there is still hope, while others see just the opposite.

Causes of the issues for print media

            Ad revenue and classifieds are newspaper’s primary source of income and are what help a newspaper to maintain its employees and circulation. In year 2008, newspapers saw one of the greatest decreases in ad revenue in the past 3 years. Newspapers everywhere were seeing a negative change in their ad revenues. According to an article in the New York Times, “executives at Hearst Corporation say that one of their biggest papers, The San Francisco Chronicle, is losing $1 million a week". This change also affects the number of jobs that are available to journalists. With the newspapers making a move to online formats in order to keep up with the trends and to gain new revenue, it is no wonder that the very thing that is bringing in revenue for these papers is hurting them in another way.

            www.Craigslist.com has recently become the driving force in online classifieds. Established in 1995, Craigslist has taken off dramatically in popularity and usage. Online viewers are able to find anything from a date to a dishwasher. In the past, newspapers were the leaders in the classifieds field, now things have changed. According to an article in InformationWeek, Craigslist has cost newspapers in San Francisco alone from $50 million to $65 million in advertising revenue.