Death of a Newspaper...

 

 Here I am again.  Yup.  It’s me.  Long time no see.  We met around this time last year and discussed strategic communication practices.  It’s time to throw in emerging media and see what conversations we can get into.  I’ve made it to the final countdown folks.  Two terms to go, then BAM!  Masters degree.  (It doesn’t actually feel like BAM, it feels like months and months of reading and studying and writing and trying not to re-write, but I have learned like, A LOT, of information). 

So, let’s get this party started.

Rewind 20 years. DVD’s were barely a thing, let alone digital news.  If you wanted to know what was going on in the world you had to actually read the morning newspaper or catch the news on the local channels.  EVERYBODY had a morning newspaper on their front lawn awaiting the companion of a cup a joe to start the day.  (Well, not my folks.  Ours had to be placed in the mailbox as a subscription because we lived out in the middle of nowhere).  So my parents didn’t always know what was happening (or better, what had happened) until much later in the day. 

Today we are stuffing ourselves with digital media.  We are overdosing on it.  We have too much access.  Is this a better way to get our information?  You know what I really miss about newspapers?  That whole linear sequential thinking that goes along with reading the written word from paper vs. a screen.  Could we stand to wait a minute before we know the next big controversy?  Heck, sometimes news is “old news” before the morning paper would run these days.  But, is that why we are moving to digital media, or is it something else? 

Personally, I prefer the lack of clutter that’s involved with digital media.  I’m a neat freak and loathe the idea of more clutter in my house.  I have a box that sits in my garage that I am constantly filling with things to donate. Clutter be gone! I never thought I’d move to digital video either, but here I am purchasing movies on Vudu (that I already own) just so I can purge the dvd that’s taking up too much space.

Did you guys know that in 2016, 62% of Americans were already getting their news from social media accounts.  Not only was that four years ago, but HELLO 2020!  According to the same source, only 3% of Americans get their news from the printed newspaper in 2020.

I can’t help but wonder if the news wasn’t more “news-worthy” in the pre-digital age…

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