Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Technological Advances Response
News of the Future
The internet has rocked the news world and turned current events into "right now" events. If individuals want to know what is going on in the world or neighborhood, they are not going to wait until tomorrow's paper hits the stand. They are going to check the internet. Websites for newspapers like the New York Times or the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are updating their pages constantly and are making sure their viewers have the most recent information at their fingertips. The internet definitely takes the cake when it comes being the fastest way to get your news.
With all of that being said, fast does not always mean best. Just because the internet can provide us with current stories, the authors may not have taken the time to properly research the stories and get all of the facts straight. Writing a strong news story takes more than a rough summary, different perspectives need to be taken into account, as well as supporting your evidence. Also, writers who work for major newspapers are considered to be professionals. Writers who just post things on the web are not. The credibility of authors may drop right along with newspaper sales.
Newspapers have been around for quite some time here in the United States and it would be sad to see them go. When you are a kid, it is a big deal if your name gets printed or your picture gets in the local newspaper. Seeing that on your computer screen just is not the same to me. A world without newspapers may be a world we see in a matter of time, but it will not necessarily be the world I want to see.
Technological Advances Leave Newspaper in the Dust
Although radio and television are a bit less delayed than the newspaper, the internet provides news almost the instance it happens. In relation to the newspaper, the internet not only provides traditional news on websites such as Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , one could also access specific interest websites such as ESPN and even blog sites to get a more opinionated view on the issues at hand.
The internet becoming one of the primary sources of daily news is good in a sense that it provides the news right away, but on the negative end those who do not have access to the internet or those people who simply do not understand the internet will be left out. This creates a generation gap between the old and the young, but also a gap between the technologically inclined and the good old fashion people who just want to read the paper and drink their morning coffee.
More Than a Piece of Paper
With new technology on the loose, the newspaper doesn’t get as much acknowledgment towards it as it probably should—especially from how credible it actually is. Within the paper, the journalists are always mentioned at the end of the article so you know who wrote it. The journalists for newspapers like The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times have been writing for years, and have had much experience with their fine writing talents. Now remember, unlike the internet, not just anyone can put their story in a newspaper. Websites tend to lack accurate information depending on where it comes from. When searching online for current news, broadcasts such as CNN, ESPN, or ABC are the right place to check. Wikipedia, on the other hand, is not particularly reliable for the fact that anyone can go on and edit it.
Many people enjoy reading the newspaper in the morning while sitting with their cup of coffee and doughnut. But how much actually gets read during that morning time frame? Many have jobs to obtain to and are out the door in a quick period of time. If anything, people look at what’s on the main cover and don’t necessarily flip through every page. As many studies conclude, newspaper percentage keeps dropping and millions of dollars are being lost as well. Meanwhile, a recent study by Nielsen Online for the Newspaper Association of America shows that the audience for newspaper websites keeps growing. On average, in the beginning of 2009, online news attracted more than 73 million visitors each month.
The world is changing and now more than ever, we rely upon the fastest route to update us with the latest news. Instead of opening to page A7 of the newspaper, we flip open our phone and go on the web. With our society today, it’s not just about reading an article; it’s about how a story is portrayed and who is giving off the information. Within 10 years, if newspapers don’t step up to the plate and fight for why they should be read, our generation will clear them cut and dry. With our over-communicated world, everything can be found on more than just a piece of paper.
Evolution of the News paper
Online Resources Affecting Print Journalism
News is a major part of daily life for citizens in most countries. It informs citizens of events happening and keeps us all updated on the status of our country. The way we consume news or how news reaches us has been changing in the past decades. Newspapers seem to be being phased out and online sites are become more and more popular. Many families used to have the local or national newspapers delivered to them daily, making sure they had time in the morning or afternoon to catch up on the daily events. This has changed.
Now people can receive live updates of breaking news stories in many different mediums. People can access the internet on their cell phones, can have emails sent to them from online sites, or can engage in other non-traditional ways of viewing news. We spend a lot of time engaged with some sort of media device each day. Computers are a very large part of the office now, whereas before, the use of computers was limited.
News is changing and newspapers are trying to keep up with the ever changing needs of our country. The New York Times and the local Journal Sentinal have spent a lot of time keeping their websites up to date with breaking news stories. Anybody can go online and read these news articles for free (in most cases). The use of online newspapers creates a very different atmosphere in the country. Traditional newspaper jobs are being forgotten and new jobs are being created to deal with the ever growing need for online resources.
The country has gotten in the habit of being well informed. People in our country need to know about news that is happening and they need to know about it right away. The use of online resources makes that easier. Breaking news stories can be accessed almost immediately, instead of waiting for the newspaper to come out the next day or hearing about it on the news that night. And although some people prefer the traditional way of getting their news, I think that newspapers will eventually become phased out and online websites will take their places.
Instant News and Original Views
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.