Im Writing A Paper About Newspapers

[Crusader]

So, as the title says, I'm writing a paper about newspapers. More specifically, how they're a dying medium and slowly being replaced by tv and the internet.

 

What kind of things would you want to read in this paper? The history of the newspaper? History of print in general?

[sodamntired]

how big of an impact Craigslist has made on classifieds

How big of an impact CNN has made

How big of an impact foxnews has made

[RicardoObviouso]

you're definitely going to need to speak of the history. the major issue is that our generation is the generation of entitlement -- "generation now". if something happens at 4:45pm we want to hear about it at 4:46pm, not 8am the next day in print. we're already out of the loop at 8am. instant gratification is something a newspaper cant offer, and that's what people need.

 

what we'll probably see, if it ever comes down it, is recaps in print. magazine style. people say phonebooks are a dying medium, but i still get two of those fuckers dropped at my door every six months. why? because it makes money. and if it continues to make money, it'll continue to be produced. the $1 on the top right hand corner of the newspaper is to percieve value at consumer level. how often do you see a copy of the new york times strewn across a bus stop terminal compared to a copy of your local 24 minipaper? the real money comes from the $25,000 ad on inside cover... as long as people are willing to pay the price to be there, we'll keep seeing newspapers... internet and tv or not.

[Lauren]

thats why i don't buy newspapers... i know that by the time my day is winding down and i have the time to read the paper, its old news. i may as well look online for free at my leisure...

 

 

 

but then i don't. and i get behind and misinformed.

[little miss sunshine]

I love reading the newspaper in the morning before work. Mark doesn't get the newspaper and I am going to have to get a subscription for when I move in.

[Morglor9]

I think you could probably write a bit about how some papers succumb to a local viewpoint. For instance: in some cases it seems that every columnist and editorial has the same opinion about a given topic as the rest, as any opposing viewpoint becomes the victim of the views of the guys on top and pandering to the prevailing local bias to help sell subscriptions.

 

That, or the presence/lack of journalistic integrity in general.

[hum-an-ole]

that definitely applies to more than newspapers, but still relevant.

 

the ads in the paper are definitely a dominant reason why they're still around (along with the older generation holding onto their habits), but as someone who's in marketing i'd like to point out that a lot of advertising agencies and consultants discourage newspaper ads these days because of the low quality of print and the low volume response. it's not only that less people are reading the paper, but the readers are aware of where the ads are placed (subconsciously or otherwise) and will skip over them like a piece of shit on the sidewalk. kind of like how people will take a bathroom break during commercials. the low resolution print just isn't effective (especially for the younger generation) because people expect nothing less than HD and are pretty unresponsive (or react in a negative way) to anything that doesn't show them a clear image of what they're getting. once the baby boomers start dying off i'll be quite surprised if the newspaper as a predominant medium doesn't die with them. i personally haven't looked at a newspaper in months and only do so if i happen to be in it or something (haha). looking at something so low quality just doesn't appeal to me. i guess i'm part of the spoiled younger generation who rely on social networks and the internet to find my news.

[bishopx]

I have given up on Newspapers as a medium. While I am no grammatical genius, for my tech writing I have a sweet program that keeps me honest. But I'll be honest, most of the major papers I've read suck balls. Content wise, grammatically, even the story telling. I also have no patience for sensationalism. Don't put fucking britney spears on the fucking cover of a major newspaper, while people are dying in wars and famines around the world. To quote Sgt. Joe Friday, "Just the facts." I will say that some of the small local papers, have some of the best writing and actual journalism there is. We have a freebie called the Forecaster that is written for multiple parts of the state. That is one very smart, very well done newspaper. Some of the writing can be colorful, but the facts are the thing...

 

You all understand that most newspapers are written at a 6th grade level, right? Now while I understand that it's done that way to speak to a broader audience, that may not be as well educated...it also leads to a dumbing down of the more serious issues. Sadly, all of our sources of news are impacted by so many different elements. A skewing to one political party or another, a heavy reliance on sensationalism, poor informational sources, being owned by a major corporation, etc... There are times, where I question whether there is truly an adequate source of honest, uncorrupted news in the US.

[hum-an-ole]

the answer to that question is subjective. you can try to argue what is truth, but it's different for every person based on their beliefs so it's kind of pointless to try and grade the validity of anything really. information just floats around out there and we eat it up whether it's worth anything or not, but it's much more controlled via newspapers and mainstream media, which turns me off. i prefer the internet where any jackass can make claims, at least then i'm getting to make my own choice about what is true.

[bishopx]

I would agree with you Christine...I personally look at multiple sources, and try and piece together what I feel is truthful. I think when the "newsmaker" is forceful and determined to be heard, it makes a difference. I personally hope that the way Obama delivers his message, forces the media to take a look at their methods.