Adapt or die
We've talked about it at length in class. Medill 20/20 is taking it head on.
It's the idea of becoming a jack of all journalism trades.
According to an American Journalism Review article click here, you've got to "adapt or die" in this new age of multimedia. That applies most to newspapers.
The article says newspapers are finally catching onto the idea of going online, not just for readers, but for revenue, too.
In 2005, newspaper Internet advertising topped $2 billion for the first time, according to the Newspaper Association of America. That's a 31 percent increase over 2004.
Overall, the article sounded like it came straight from Dean Lavine's new blog site.
It says newspaper higher-up's have to change their lingo. Instead of stories and readers, we now have "content" and "audience."
Newspapers aren't dispensers of the truth. They are "products."
Last September, the American Press Institute launched a yearlong "Newspaper Next" offering newspaper leaders some guidance in the world of multimedia.
You can check out that web site if you just...(click here).
So what does the future hold for us budding reporters?
Will newspapers become extinct?!?!?!
Or will it be our first stop on our way to filing a story for other forms of media including webacasts, podcasts and any other cast you want to throw in there?
The article's long, but worth the read. And note who won a Pulitzer Prize at the end.
LO
posted by Medill Media Watch @ 10:04 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
I don't think we've seen the end of newspapers. I do think we're seeing the being of newspaper content being readily available in innovative ways. As the CJR article explains, journalists are becoming immersed in a "tech-driven landscape." Today's news consumer is multi-tasking; he/she wants access to information on the run and in easily digestible forms. This may be through a video ipod or on a cell phone.
Regardless of the changes, I believe newspapers in their traditional form will perpetuate. There's something special about carrying a physical newspaper that can't be replaced by typed letters on a screen. For those who may not want an abbreviated version of the news, newspapers typically provide greater detail than the web.
-JG
Why does it matter if newspapers do die? The New York Times on the Web is so much better than the print edition it's ridiculous: The Web site is faster, more accurate, more comprehensive, easier to use and it's free. The only time I read the paper NYT is when I don't have a computer screen handy.
I think that knowing all these different types of media makes us more marketable. With big newspapers across the country making job cuts, we need to do whatever we can to be more savvy. Because newspapers cost serious money to print, with even a 1-inch increase meaning more money, I wouldn't be shocked if newspapers went online. It will depend if advertisers only want the print medium or not.
Wj
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