The Future of Print Media, Part 3 of 4

        Where did you first find out that Michael Jackson died? Well, most of us heard about it through either Facebook, or Twitter. Social media sites have changed the way we receive and interpret our news. In the past few years it seems that social media has “scooped” print media on everything from small interest stories to major corporate news. Twitter has been the moving power of this revolutionary change in news. Apple, for example, is a corporation that has been able to break the news of their newest products and services to its public through twitter before mainstream media even has a chance to hear about the story. With this change, readers are drawn more to the format of social media for news because of the ease, speed, and accuracy of information.

            Another issue that is keeping print media from staying afloat is blogs. Blogs first became popular in the late 1990’s. Since then blogs have become segmented. Different types of blogs range from personal, corporate, device, and even by media type. With an increase in popularity of blogs, a great number people have been flocking to subscribe to writers or even become writers themselves. There are approximately 6 million blogs in the US alone, a far higher number than in 1990. Though some people find this free form of news as beneficial; writers and journalists see it in a very different light. After discussing the topic of blogs and print media, David Milstead, former reporter for the late Rocky Mountain News, had this to say, “I’m a reporter and if people don’t feel the value of my work is worth paying for, then I won’t do it. No blogs. I’m not giving it out for free. People will always want new information, but the question is now, how much will they pay for it?” Some news journalists however, are creating their own blogs in an effort to continue their writing. A greater problem though, is the accuracy of the information that viewers are receiving. 

            What Milstead had to say is very relevant in today’s society. Because of the growth of the internet, many newspapers think the best move is to go paperless, when in reality; ad revenue online is very minimal compared to print. According to a recent article in The New Yorker, we must place some of the blame for the decline of print media on ourselves. The problem cannot just be attributed to the internet, because we want access to everything, we want everything now, and want it all to be free. Milstead states that, “Newspapers need to [start] charging”. In 2010, an article was printed in the International Herald Tribune, which showed both sides of this growing debate. On one end, chief executive of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch feels that pay walls are necessary in order to look out for his shareholders. On the other hand, editor of The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, hopes that by sharing free information flow that his readership will increase and thus bring in more ad revenue. No matter what side of the debate is chosen, once the industry loses its ability to sustain, it is sure to vanish.