The Death of the Newspaper

Posted on 08. Dec, 2008 by Ryan Northcott in Death of Print

The newspaper, as we know it, is dying. With major publications like the New York Times, L.A. Times and Chicago Tribune experiencing readership issues, the slow painful death of print media is upon us.

A few days ago, the Tribune Company, owners of the L.A. Times and Chicago Tribune filed for bankruptcy protection with $12 billion, yes billion, in debt.

I am here to say that I for one will mourn the death, but can’t help but think that people like myself are the eventual killers. For one, before the explosion of the internet I would diligently go to my local Starbucks and read the newspaper with a stiff cup of coffee. No longer do I do that. It’s akin to a radio commercial I hear promoting a talk news station where the tag line reads, “Tomorrow’s News Today”. This is where the newspaper will fall.

Today we can go to sites like CNN.com, Fark.com, Gawker.com and read our news literally as it happens. We aren’t afforded that with the newspaper.

Newspapers have tried to catch up with an ever growing onslaught of news, blog and social sites, but they are too late and in the case of the New York Times website no one wants to pay for it when they can read the exact same story, free. It took the major players in the newspaper world precious years to incorporate social sharing of articles and stories. Only over the last while have they offered the chance for you and me to share their content with our Facebook friends, Digg, etc…

I guess it was inevitable that our paper world is increasingly becoming digital, but I’ll lament the fact someday someone isn’t going to be able to go to their local Starbucks and enjoy a piping hot coffee with a crisp newspaper to read.

The newspaper will go the way of the commemorative plate. Get yours now.

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Tags: Bankrupt, Chicago, Death of Newspaper, FuddyTV, LA Times, New York Times, Tribune

Tami

This made me incredibly sad. Reading a newspaper front to back is one of the greatest simple pleasures in life. The op-ed personalities. Ink on the hands. Fresh smell of the press still on the pages. It's an experience that should be savoured and enjoyed, and it's sad to think that it could be gone. I'm biased though and defend the worth of newspapers whenever possible.

Perhaps newspapers will still have a small role in the world though... when Obama got elected, most American papers reporting selling out of their entire print run. More readers might be gravitating to online consumption of news and opinion, but the cut-it-out-and-put-it-in-the-scrapbook nature of the newspaper headlines still seems to have an allure. At least there is that.