On Tuesday night, NBC Nightly News had a story that essentially was the pre-obituary for the daily newspaper in America.
The story told of how daily newspapers across the country are losing readers and revenue. Mention was made that the San Francisco Chronicle loses almost a million dollars a week. And that the Palm Beach Post in Florida this week announced it is laying off 80 jobs. That one, oddly, hit just a little close to home because I nearly accepted a job offer from the Palm Beach Post much earlier this decade.
On Thursday, the Superior Telegram, a six-day paper much like the Times in schedule and size, announced that beginning in the fall it would publish newspapers only twice a week. The Superior Telegram is remaining a daily news source, but will rely on its online product for that rather than the newspaper.
This follows The Capital Times move earlier this year to ditch its daily newspaper in favor of its online product and a couple of free weekly editions.
On Aug. 1, I will have been in the newspaper business for exactly 20 years. Im certain that if I make it another 20 years, I will no longer be saying I work in the newspaper business. Its not that I believe newspapers will be gone by then. They might, but I think its unlikely. But I think its safe to say that by then the Internet and probably other forms of technology that may not yet exist will replace the newspaper as the main news source for companies like ours.
I suspect thats going to happen sooner rather than later.
And I have very mixed feelings about that. I grew up reading, and loving, newspapers. Its what I know and have done for 20 years. Its difficult for me to accept that the time I devote to news printed on paper is likely to be very little by the time I retire. (Which, given the state of Social Security and my bank account, might not happen for another 40 or 50 years!)
But the more I work on our own Web site, the more I like it and its possibilities. Its immediate, its endless in terms of available space, and its vital because there are so many ways readers/visitors can participate that a newspaper just cant offer.
So while I think its a bit premature to be broadcasting news of the newspapers demise, Im excited about what is ahead in the news business whatever that ends up being.
What do you think the news business will look like in the future?
The story told of how daily newspapers across the country are losing readers and revenue. Mention was made that the San Francisco Chronicle loses almost a million dollars a week. And that the Palm Beach Post in Florida this week announced it is laying off 80 jobs. That one, oddly, hit just a little close to home because I nearly accepted a job offer from the Palm Beach Post much earlier this decade.
On Thursday, the Superior Telegram, a six-day paper much like the Times in schedule and size, announced that beginning in the fall it would publish newspapers only twice a week. The Superior Telegram is remaining a daily news source, but will rely on its online product for that rather than the newspaper.
This follows The Capital Times move earlier this year to ditch its daily newspaper in favor of its online product and a couple of free weekly editions.
On Aug. 1, I will have been in the newspaper business for exactly 20 years. Im certain that if I make it another 20 years, I will no longer be saying I work in the newspaper business. Its not that I believe newspapers will be gone by then. They might, but I think its unlikely. But I think its safe to say that by then the Internet and probably other forms of technology that may not yet exist will replace the newspaper as the main news source for companies like ours.
I suspect thats going to happen sooner rather than later.
And I have very mixed feelings about that. I grew up reading, and loving, newspapers. Its what I know and have done for 20 years. Its difficult for me to accept that the time I devote to news printed on paper is likely to be very little by the time I retire. (Which, given the state of Social Security and my bank account, might not happen for another 40 or 50 years!)
But the more I work on our own Web site, the more I like it and its possibilities. Its immediate, its endless in terms of available space, and its vital because there are so many ways readers/visitors can participate that a newspaper just cant offer.
So while I think its a bit premature to be broadcasting news of the newspapers demise, Im excited about what is ahead in the news business whatever that ends up being.
What do you think the news business will look like in the future?
