As the technological era prospers, journalists and reporters have experienced a chronic alteration in the way in which news is delivered to readers. Due to the recent Internet takeover within the past decade, newspapers and magazines have created online sites that are becoming widely utilized in comparison to traditional paper copies.
Nowadays, nearly every individual has open access to a computer and the information it provides. Back in September of 2013, the Leichtman Research Group data released that Internet connection was issued to nearly 83% of American homes; an astounding statistic that will surely continue to rise. Mathematically, 83% of the population amounts to approximately 260,620,000 individuals across the nation. Due to this, there is no practical reason for citizens to spend hard-earned money on printed information that could just as easily be found online.
In a Californian newscast that aired in 1981, the anchorwoman begins, “Imagine, if you will, sitting down to your morning coffee, and turning on your home computer to read the day’s newspaper. Well, it’s not as far-fetched as it may seem.” A featured male editor comments, “This is an experiment. We’re trying to figure out what it’s going to mean to us as editors and reporters, and what it means to the home user.” Even 33 years ago, the media world was predicting a major conversion in the manner in which news would be communicated to the public.
Furthermore, a male reporter in the same newscast states, “People using the system are excited about its potential…Engineers now predict the day will come when we get all our newspapers and magazines by home computer, but that’s a few years off.” Instead of a few years off, society still hasn’t fully accepted this ideology. Afterwards, the anchorwoman confidently concludes, “Well, it takes over two hours to receive the entire text of the newspaper over the phone, and with an hourly use charge of five dollars, the new tele-paper won’t be much competition for the twenty-cent street edition.” Back then, mailmen and reporters weren’t as worried about their occupation; however, with the current employment rate for Illinois journalists at -18.91, the implementation of technology has print writers struggling to find a job.
Even though the majority of users are becoming increasingly satisfied through online media, competition is arising more than ever in the mass communications workforce. Many are beginning to yearn for paper editions to be brought back, but unfortunately this is an unlikely outcome of activist efforts. Even though the transition is difficult, individuals who grew up without the constant presence of technology are simply being forced to adjust to the rapid revolution taking place around the globe.
It is expected that one day in the future paper editions will completely vanish. Jack Cafferty, a reporter from CNN, asked online users the following question in 2011: “Will the internet eventually kill newspapers?” A man named Pete from Georgia commented, “Will it?? It already has. Today’s newspapers are less than a shadow of their former days. It’s over.” Bradley from Oregon wrote, “Traditional printed newspapers are dead, no matter what.” Another man by the name of Eric conceded to this idea but had a more optimistic outlook, stating, “The internet will likely kill news on paper, but will never kill quality journalism. Only unacknowledged bias and journalistic sloppiness will do that.” Although paper copies of newspapers will almost certainly be wiped out in upcoming years, it shouldn’t falter the professional ethics of published articles.
Despite some being disappointed by the inevitable change of tradition, the journalistic field will continue to prosper in different ways than before. As times progress, sensational stories and informative pieces will be available at users’ fingertips. Even though the tangible satisfaction of printed news may disappear, broadcasts will spread quicker than ever and readers will ultimately adapt to the 21st century media evolution.