News has, and always will be the way citizens are informed of what is happening around them. The way that news reaches them, however, is being produced at a more rapid pace and with easier accessibility. The newspaper was the first choice for many to prepare for the day with a cup of joe; but now, many are heading for a computer for the most recent news. As current as the news has become, the credibility now becomes a focus of online sources.
While the Internet has become the choice for many to get their news, many newspapers have responded. The New York Times, for example, has invested more effort into their website. They have accommodated to today’s short attention span by making interesting excerpts for the articles that draw more attention to it. And both the New York Times and the Washington Post have added video to their online stories. This gives more perspective to the topic and makes the news more interactive for the reader than a newspaper.
The need to hear about stories as they happen, as opposed to hearing about it the next morning has inspired many 24 hour news outlets on cable, and round the clock updates online. This may be good for instant news, but it makes you wonder if they are able to consider everything they publish to be credible. And not only can one wonder about the credibility, but also the ability to stay biased. This is why I believe that newspapers will never be obsolete.
The credibility of online sources can be questionable, and as mistakes are made, more time will be spent on corrections to past error. Instant news has become a staple of current events, but will not replace the newspaper. It will never disappear, and it will still inform citizens, even if its form does change over time.
I agree with this post in most regards. The newspaper is indeed a great part of our culture, and as Silverblatt says, an important part of media literacy. When it comes to media literacy, we need our media to be current, but more importantly, credible. Which is why I agree with this post, in that the credibility of online journalism is perhaps its biggest drawback.
ReplyDeleteWhile many established newspapers such as the New York Times have created websites, there are also many news sites that aren't as credible. With the big name news sites beginning to consider charging for membership, it becomes concerning to think that the majority of online news will be less credible. That's not to say that all blogs or smaller news websites aren't credible, but the prominence of these established newspapers assure a quality of journalism that is credible and accurate.
Also, I agree that the timeliness of online journalism is both an advantage and a concern. Having updates so quickly does indeed lead one to question the credibility. And while this does allow newspapers to remain relevant, I disagree that they will never be obsolete. I think that in time, with the vast improvements being made to these news websites, they will eventually surpass print journalism in all aspects. The internet is growing so fast that I feel it will be the main form of media for everyone given time. I think the newspaper will last for a while yet, but in time, it will disappear.
I also agree with Matt's post for the most part. I do believe the printed versions of all large local newspapers will become obsolete. However, the news companies that print them will stay in business with online sites. Printing the news is just not profitable anymore and that is what is going to kill it. Newspaper print sales are dropping more drastically than ever as is illustrated by this graph. No corporation is going to lose millions of dollars a year to put their news into print. The companies will provide news, just in different ways than before.
ReplyDeleteOnline credibility is definitely an issue, depending on where you get your news from. Readers need to be responsible in choosing where they get their news from online. We choose what sources are reliable in print and on TV, so we need to do the same online. I believe stories change and develop on TV and in print as they do on the internet, but the internet does it faster. If there is a mistake in reporting on a topic over the internet, it is actually caught and fixed faster than in other news media. The internet's immediacy in reporting simply cannot be matched in these modern times.
I believe Matt should have said journalism, not newspapers, will never be obsolete. Bill Moyers named his article Journalism & Democracy and not Newspapers & Democracy for a reason. As he said we need journalism to use its' First Amendment rights to inform the citizens of this democracy. I think the major media outlets may not be the watchdogs we need them to be for us as citizens. Blogging and online journalism has sort of been a watchdog of the watchdog, if you will, and I like it that way.