New Media, Views on News • December 11th, 2008

The problems with print

by Chris Lato

In this down economy, it’s no secret that all sorts of businesses are struggling and going under – including the newspaper industry, which was thought to be on a long, slow slide to oblivion anyway.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Newspapers need to figure out how to make real money off the Internet and adjust to the change in revenue streams. Print media outlets will continue to face serious fiscal challenges – some will fade away entirely, while some will adapt to an exclusive online presence. Reporters and editors will lose their jobs as newsrooms work to maintain consistent output with fewer resources.

There will also be more consolidation, which the conspiracy theorists out there will tell you is a bad thing for journalism. In their eyes, fewer independent voices mean less thorough, challenging reporting.

What about journalistic standards? Perhaps that is as antiquated a notion as buying a cassette tape - or a CD, for that matter. Standards change with the times. The ‘traditional’ media faces heated competition in the point-and-click era, when anyone can have their voice heard and stories that may otherwise have been ignored, for whatever reason, will get play online.

Let me be clear: I do not reject the notion that blogging and online journalism is a worthy enterprise. I am concerned that, in a time when speed is of the essence, the race to be first will lead to less thorough reporting and less thoughtful analysis. Traditional newspapers have had resources that will be in much shorter supply as the move online continues.

In addition, any honest reporter will tell you that his or her writing typically benefits from the critical eye of a third-party editor. How much of that filter will survive as the traditional media converts to a different, faster format?

Also, there are reporters, and then there are opinion-makers. It’s important to know the difference. Anyone can start a blog and everyone has an opinion.

It seems as though political discourse is hardening into us-versus-them with no room for a middle ground. This is exacerbated by the ability to visit blogs and websites that do little more than reinforce one’s beliefs and notions without challenge. You are now your own filter. It is up to the individual to gather all sides of a story and form an opinion.

And that is ultimately a good thing - some argue the MSM is already in the business not of reporting, but of getting you to buy into an agenda.  Now, you can create the agenda.

There are so many ways to look at this issue, but there is no doubt 2009 will be a challenging year for newspapers as they ponder whether to quietly march into obsolescence or figure out how to move with the times.

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