Ever since I can remember, my morning routine would consist of waking up, taking a shower, getting dressed, going to the kitchen to eat some breakfast and read the sports section of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. You always hear about how back in the day people would have paper routes as their first jobs, but now newspapers are becoming obsolete. What happened to the newspaper? In one word; technology. With today's internet on phones, laptops, etc., anyone can get breaking news as it happens, meaning that the need for day old news in newspapers is no longer needed.People want to be as up to date as possible, and that is no longer the case for newspapers. Since 2000, newspaper subscribers have dropped significantly. Newspaper sales are at an all time low and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. As long as internet revenue continues to climb, the younger generations will never turn towards seeing the need for newspaper. The younger generations are always in a hurry and only want to take time to read certain articles not the entire paper like people used to do. Another factor is that there are the same articles on the Internet for free with no subscription needed.
Our culture is already changing as newspapers slowly become obsolete. Details are becoming less important and the outcome is all that people care about. There is no such thing as the full story anymore, because the general public wants to know a lot, but nothing in depth. The only reason people pay for newspapers is when a catastrophic event occurred and the entire nation is involved and interested in the story (Hurricane Katrina). Even Sunday newspaper sales are down, and that used to be the most purchased piece of news each week. That was when people used coupons, looked at ads for the best deals and wanted to see what was on tap for the week ahead.
What will happen in the future is anyone's guess. Most likely all newspapers will be either available only on the Internet, or be much thinner within the next 100 years. Even highly toted newspapers such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post and L.A. Times will struggle to stay afloat. Technology is becoming more and more advanced and even those who spend time reading the newspaper can only continue to support it, but need to realize that eventually newspapers will become obsolete. I know I will still support the local newspaper, but I am only one of a few twenty-year-old's that probably read the newspaper on a daily basis.
It is definitely unfortunate with the decline of the newspaper, and I would absolutely agree that the newspaper is being killed. Unlike some like yourself who have routine to getting the daily paper and finding the comfort in that, I am one of those young adults who is dependent on online news.
ReplyDeleteIt is just too easy to not use the internet for any information that I need. Maybe because I am a student and computer usage is primary. Or on the other hand, it may just be the idea that I can filter my options and get not only a news article, but other information as well.
I wish I had gotten the newspaper everyday and supported it more than ever because I like the hard copy delivered bright and early in the morning, even though I never fully acknowledged it. My support goes to you for having such a passion for and dependence on this newspaper. Many do not think about it, but it is a part of this democracy. Imagine what it would be like with no Sunday or daily newspaper. To me, that would feel like the beginning of a whole new era in which comforting basics would eventually be scratched from our memory. The more it is thought about, the more I can come to believe that a simple newspaper, disregarding online news, might just make the foundation of a democracy.