Over the past few years the use of Newspapers has gradually been decreasing. What used to be our main source of news has now been replaced by several online websites, some of which may or not be credible. It has lowered and caused major budget cuts for the newspaper companies and is held responsible for many layoffs in the job industry. Simply put we are just becoming Out of Print.
Online news has become extremely popular over the last few years and has taken over print news. Online is easier to obtain and it is free, making us believe it would be a better choice. Although, getting your news online seems like a great idea we should think, who is actually writing these articles or blogs that we consider a reliable source for our news? By getting online news you may not be getting the most credible source and accurate information. We have become obsessed with how fast we can receive information, that often we just put aside who wrote the article and the depth of the objectivity to the story itself.
Print news has many positive benefits to society, especially in a time with a recession taking place. Newspapers offer more job opportunities, which will help strengthen the economy and stabilize it by not having so many unemployed people. Advertisers are benefited by getting their ads out and having a chance to advertise their products more effectively, which helps the economy as well. Stores can put in flyer's and when people have it already there, they will not need to change pages or click on a link to see it. This will make them more likely to take a look at it. Therefore, bringing back the Newspaper is a great way to help the economy more and keep us informed accurately. It is a circle that continues to go around; everything contributes to a better economy. A newspaper sold means more jobs and money, and advertisers in newspapers get business and there hire more people. People need to understand this so our economy can flourish and not continue to fall.
Today the top selling newspaper is USA today; although it has an online website it is still being sold. Online news is beneficial because you get the news and it is easy to access and it’s free. However, if all major newspapers like USA today and The New York Times, switch to online news only, where will all of their funding, jobs and profits go? Eventually, there will be no paper because the funding will be gone and the workers will not be paid. This is why the rise of the newspaper needs to be overlooked and needs to make a comeback.
The Internet is taking over our print news and it is causing many parts of the economy to spiral downward. We cannot let the economy just eliminate the way we have gotten news for so many years just disappear. Sometimes the old fashion way of doing things is the only way to keep the economy going strong. People need to help contribute to the economy and go out and just get a real tangible paper. It will only positively inform and help the economy in the end.
Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI agree whole-heartedly with you. People often look only at the surface and don't really think things through. They view online news as better because it's free, but don't look at the bigger picture. These people are missing out on so much more than they realize because they are blinded by their own ignorance.
People think it's great that accessing the news is easier online. What they don't think about is because of this ease of access, *who* is accessing and contributing to these news stories? Those who say that online news is far better than print news are obviously missing the bigger picture.
One great thing you mentioned was the idea of sources, and how are we to know if they are credible in online news. In his text, Silverblatt discusses the importance of credibility. He also discusses the importance of reliable sources. In a study done by the University of Miami(http://com.miami.edu/car/miamibeach1.htm)the participants found it much more difficult to verify online news over print news.
The demise of printed newspapers affects more than just the news. It affects our economy and our unemployment. It is great that you mentioned that. We need to view the entire pro/con ratio with this issue, and look at both sides of each piece of evidence before condemning the printed news for eternity.
Jenna,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that we need to keep printed news outlets in our economy. The downfall of the newspaper industry is causing and would cause many jobs to be lost. I like how you ask what would happen if every newspaper were to discontinue their printed version and what would happen to “funding, jobs, and profits.” Newspapers have always been our main news source and the development of the internet has caused this source to suffer. You touch on the fact that we are dealing with a recession and the rapid increase in unemployment rates throughout the country is a huge concern. According to the Daily Utah Chronicle(http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/newspaper-bailout-would-limit-freedoms-1.2027919), Business Insider claims that between January and July in 2009, 105 newspapers closed and more than 10,000 newspaper workers lost their jobs. I also agree that the loss in profits would not just only be for the papers themselves but for the people and companies who advertise in them. Newspapers are a source of promotion for many businesses.
I also agree with you that online news sources do not have the credibility factor that printed newspapers do. I definitely believe that the fast speed and instant access to news stories has blinded us from the true credibility of what we are receiving from online stories. Who knows where online sources obtain their news? This subject is what Silverblatt discusses in his article. Although he seems to be somewhat in favor of online news sources, he also admits that “quality standards and practices haven’t yet been established.” when it comes to online sources. Credibility is a huge concern for online news sources because they are so new to the way we obtain our news. Anyone could be sharing information with us over the net. It’s never easy to tell where the information is coming from, if it is correct, and whether the issue is properly researched.
Although I agree with most of the things you say in your blog, I do feel like online news is going to be present in our society no matter what. It is inevitable. Luckily, like you said, many newspapers offer the option of both an online version and a printed version, giving the reader a choice on where they obtain their news from. The newspaper industry does need to make a comeback but if our society can find a way to have both then I think it would be beneficial for the economy, journalists, and the readers.