A Conversation on the Future of Newspapers

Will People Pay for Online Newspaper Content?

2009-08-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

The lines are being drawn. Those who believe in the newspaper are advocating pay per article online, while others Internet purists are holding their stand on the principle of free information. Would you pay to read an article? Would I?

Read this article to find out more.

Politics Without the Newspaper?

2009-08-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Many people that come of out America's "Greatest Generation" are concerned with what the decline of newspapers will do with a democracy. They argue that the Internet is a great source for entertainment, and not a place to get information. For many members of my generation this is the only place where they get their information. Is this a preference or a truth? Does defending democracy depend on a print newspaper or even the newspaper function?

Link To Article

A Newspaper Man's Vision

2009-07-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

The Balitmore Sun's Dan Rodricks has a vision for a plan to allow newspapers to survive. He suggests that the print version of newspapers will go out when with the generations that want to have it. In order to keep newspapers as a news gathering service, he suggests charging 5 cents for each story that a person visits on the internet.

"You want to be informed by credible, independent news sources.
So pay to be. Assuming it's necessary, I propose that American newspapers get an exemption from federal antitrust statutes, allowing them all to shut down their Web sites on the same day and to reopen in 24 hours with soft gateway charges for each use. A nickel a click" (Rodricks).

Dan Rodricks argues that newspaper organizations represent the most professional and thorough news service. He believes that the newspaper is an American need.

"Bloggers need us. Google needs us. Yahoo needs us. Radio talk shows need us...Democracy needs us" (Rodricks).

When will the print version die out?

What is unique to the newspaper?

Does America need the news paper?

Link to Article

Is the Economy to Blame?

2009-07-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

Looking for some recent news on the future of newspapers, I was able to stumble across this opinion editorial http://www.baxterbulletin.com/article/20090709/OPINION01/907090319/1014/OPINION.

In this article it debates the reasons that newspapers might be seeing their last days. In the article it does not as much blame the fact that people are becoming more reliable on the Internet or television but blames the economy. It tells the story of a couple news papers that have either shut down or forced to lay off most of their staff. The Detroit Free Press has had to force home paper delivery to only three days a week.

This is all huge for the newspaper industry as well as the rest of the Media outlets. If the recession is the reason that the papers are going under than what is to say that another media source would not be next such as TV stations. How long can these mediums stay afloat? Who knows but hopefully the economy will start rising back up so no more jobs will be lost.

Written by James Scroggins.

A Prediction for Local Newspapers

2009-06-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

My professor, Dr. Brad Rawlins, sent me this link from All Things Digital.

If you read the memo, you will see that this article suggests newspapers will have much less staff because this model of futuristic newspapers drops all the additional people needed for a print edition. This would include all of the drivers, copiers, printing people, and, yes, delivery boys and girls. The company model that Mark Josephson envisions employs a twenty person staff. He also sees many people contributing to the online newspaper from the outside.

This article raises more questions for me. Does this model only apply to average sized cities? Will the New York Times ever be forced to go completely online with no print edition? Will small town newspapers that have been in circulation for over a century give up their presses?

The future of the newspaper...what will it be?