I first entered the working world at the ripe age of 10, occupation, papergirl. My route consisted of 30 houses, acres apart and two GIANT hills. Thinking back on it, at 9 cents per paper, I was TERRIBLY underpaid! These days I don't see many kids pedaling their bikes around the neighborhood delivering the news. My paper person is an old man in a beat up truck that's missing a muffler, and to be honest, he scares me a little! Sadly, my scary paper person will not have this job for much longer. I received a note in my paper last Sunday (the only day I actually receive the paper strictly for the sales ads) explaining that the Journal Sentinel made a deal with the deliverer of the Journal Times to deliver both the papers, so he is out of a job as of April 25th.
I for one never got into reading the daily newspaper. These days I don't really know of very many people who do anymore. My parents were just talking over the weekend about how they cancelled their subscription because it is easier and less time consuming to just look it up online, or watch the evening news before bed to get a daily update. With that said, I see pros and cons to the decision to bring the newspaper to an end.
There are some major positives that I can see coming from all news reporting being online and television based. For one, it's a huge win for the environmentally friendly folks out there. Nearly four billion trees are cut down annually for paper alone. Just think of all those trees that will be saved if this switch is made. Another positive, these days time is money, and you can't deny the convenience of being able to google a topic or news story and finding information on it in a flash, and at no extra cost. Also, money is saved by the companies reporting the news not having to print the papers. You are able to get news updates about events as they are happening. If a mistake is made in reporting or spelling, it can be corrected in a flash. Lastly, NO MORE BLACK INK ALL OVER YOUR FINGERS AND HANDS!!!
A big negative that would come with this switch would be the loss of jobs. The unemployment rate is high enough! Thousands of people have been laid off already, and we are expected to see more layoffs this year than in 2008! I have read that many attempts of newspapers to shift their operations to online have been failures. I also think about some big events that have happened, how I felt seeing the front page of the paper after 9-11, or when Obama was elected. Will I feel that same effect only seeing it on a computer screen? Also, crazy as this may sound, some people don't have computers, so what happens to them? I guess they still have television news and radio news broadcasts.
Newspapers that have been around for hundreds of years are on their way off the presses and onto the Internet. The Boston Globe, which has been around for 137 years, is knocking on death's door. With the decline in circulation growing larger by the month, the Times Co., which is $1.1 billion in debt, is ready to pull the plug on the printed version. The Globe is projected to lose $85 million this year, after a $50 million loss in 2008. Employees have already encountered many cutbacks to keep this paper alive, and are willing to endure more in order to save a paper that they all believe in. Is it enough though?
With news on the Internet, I feel like I am always in the loop. When I click on the icon for Internet explorer, and the MSN page pops up, right in front of me is an important subject or event that is happening right now. All the latest news, sports and even gossip is just a click away. It just seems like the smartest, most cost effective and logical next step for the times. The younger generation isn't as interested in the newspaper as generations past and it's looking like that the lack of interest is only increasing.
I say get with the times, embrace the Internet! We're doing all the underpaid newspaper carriers worldwide a huge favor.
Good opening paragraph. I like the pros and cons you list of newspapers going online. I think you hit two of the major positive points about online news; saving money on printing costs and the timeliness and convenience of online news.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you have to say about missing front page new. I don't think a computer monitor can have the same impact as the front page of the paper after a major news happening. With papers suffering, this is definitely a scary time for journalists. I know a writer for the Post-Crescent in Appleton and he along with many others, is hoping to keep his job.