In reading this article from the New York Times, about four Michigan daily newspapers that will either cease publication or will move to an on-line format, I find myself asking: “Why all the hubbub about the death of the daily newspaper?”
For sure, dailies nationwide have been the source of much important journalism, shining a disinfectant spotlight on corrupt politicians, standing up for the common man, and, in general, writing about the local. But just because newspapers are moving away from the environmentally-unsustainability that is the paper and ink with which they have been printed, this does not necessarily need to be the maudlin affair most newspapers have cast it in.
Of course, this is me writing: someone who has sworn off paper anything and, who for the last couple months has been able, by and large, to practice what I preach when it comes to being paperless. “There are those out there who don’t read the news online, and who won’t be able to get riled up by looking at a web page with the news on it,” may be the response.
My question to them is: “why not?” For years, the quarter you’ve paid the newsstand vendor has never really ever paid for the content of the paper. It’s gone to pay for the distribution of the content – namely the delivery boy, or that newsstand vendor I just mentioned. Papers have, for years, existed off of their advertising revenue, and have, for years, relied on this revenue to pay their reporters, editors, and clerical staff to run their huge organizations.
My response to this is: “Grow up.” The Internet has come of age. Stop trying to control content, and embrace it. We still need good journalism to keep that spotlight shone on those corrupt politicians. Find a way to work with your advertisers to move your ads to the Internet. Google has been able to do this on a worldwide scale, you locals should be able to do this for that which is local.
To those who refuse to get their news via the Internet, I also say “Grow up.” Get used to the digital. Sure, paper can be recycled, and that does help reduce the amount of energy put into its production; but, really, do you absolutely have to hold that newspaper in your hands, getting that toxic ink all over the place, in order to be satisfied that you’re getting the best news from anywhere?
Realize this: the PAPER portion of the NewsPAPER industry is dead. There is absolutely no way it can be sustained – economically or environmentally. Those NEWS organizations that realize this will understand this. They will Accept it… They will embrace it… they will learn it…
Let’s move on.
