I took part in a good discussion on Poynter Online today. The forecast demise of print newspapers doesn’t at all signify the death of publishing. The same was true when typewriters met their end. When they were replaced, we didn’t stop writing. As a matter of fact, we probably write more now than we did when typewriters sat on our desks. When newspapers run out of ink, we won’t stop reporting news or spouting opinions or sending the editor letters. The platform will just be more accessible, flexible, timely and collaborative. Here are my comments from the discussion:
“Back in 1989 when I was a mail carrier in Ossining, NY I wrote an article for the USPS Newsletter (print edition) entitled “The Death of Letter Writing”. Alas, the demise of ink on paper began long before the Internet was even used by many of us.
As much as I hold dear the aesthetics of the written word on paper, I do find it hard to go back to newspapers. I love the efficiency of online news offerings and perhaps more so, the ability to interact with it immediately – this comment being an example.
I was an avid contributor to the Letters to the Editor section in several national and international newspapers. I did find it frustrating at times that by the time my letter was printed, it didn’t seem timely or relevant anymore. The flow was interrupted by other events between reading, submission and publishing. Next day delivery of feedback just doesn’t compare to the real-time conversations that take place online.
Technology makes content much more relevant to consumers as we can choose what subjects appear in our electronic broadsheet each day. My RSS reader displays updates to the news sites that I follow as they are published – giving me immediate access to headlines, topics or stories that I want to follow – and from a variety of sources – all on one page.
Like many traditionalists/romantics out there, I’m torn between style and function. Sometimes I even wish that the horse and buggy would make a comeback and replace modern vehicles that cause chaos on our roads. But these are different times, and to keep pace with the world as it unfolds, traditional ways sometimes fall short of providing what we need, when we need it.
I do find myself buying the local paper every now and then if I’m out and about with some time to kill in a coffee house. But more often than not, my BBC, NY Times, Irish Independent feeds are updated regularly through the day as news is made ready for my reading.”
Will books have the same fate as newspapers? I don’t think so:
“I feel that books will outlast other forms of printed matter, simply because it is a leisure activity which provides an experience that isn’t improved online. Longer works are more difficult to digest online. This is why online publishers are quickly learning the art of brevity in communication. Smaller bits with links to more suits our modern appetites and schedules. But when we want to read a good book, it’s time to curl up for a couple of hours in a comfy chair by the fire.
Regarding the funding of journalistic activity, I don’t think that the demise of print newspapers signifies the death of news publishing. I still value major news publishing contributions – it’s simply the format that requires change to adapt to modern lifestyles. I think that the online versions of major publishers will remain in tact and even improve over time. Online publishing is (can be) a very lucrative venture.
The shift to online might make some newspaper careers redundant, especially in the paper and printing end of the process, but there will still be a need for journalists, editors, cameramen, designers, etc.”
To read the original piece and contribute to the conversation, visit Your Duty to Read the Paper. You are required to register to the site prior to leaving a comment.
