In the spring of 2012 Apple released
what would soon become the final nail in the coffin of the print journalism
world. The iPad was released on March 7, 2012, only a short decade after the
first iPhone was released. Within those 10 years, the world of journalism,
especially the world of print media, drastically changed. The narrative of how
print media is slowly dying has been around for several decades. However, we
are now witnessing the print media taking its final few breaths, or as some
would say, reaching its final descent. While the landscape for print media has
been in a constant state of uncertainty and change over the last few decades,
it has fought vigilantly to remain a primary source of information for its
readers. However, with the ride of technological advances, such as the
internet, smartphones, and now tablets, the need, or even desire, for a
tangible newspaper or magazine is quickly becoming a nostalgic memory.
While the numbers of newspapers and
magazines readers have been in a constant state of decline, they are now taking
a steep fall in what might be the final nail in the coffin. Tablets, such as
the iPad, are allowing for consumers to reach their news in a quicker, more
efficient manner, in comparison to waiting till the next day to receive the
daily news. We now live in a highly technological and steadfast environment
where everyone wants to be able to know what is going on within the world
around them at a moments notice. This is where newspapers and magazines fail,
and tablets prevail. Today’s society has become accustomed to the accessibility
of the internet and, for lack of better terminology, has become addicted to the
immediate access to countless streams of information.
Just like how newspapers and
magazines replaced the telegraph and the town criers before them, tablets, in conjunction
with the internet, will soon permanently replace the use, or need, for any
print media. While this truth is bleak, the silver lining is that those same
newspapers and magazines are more than capable of moving from print media to digital
media and publishing the same content, just in digital form. Newspapers and
magazines, such as The New York Times,
and Times, Inc., have already shown a
major shifted into the world of digital media. Just like within the laws of
nature, only those who are capable of adapting during the times of change are
the only ones who can survive. While I do believe that there will always be a
need and a market for journalism, the outlets in which the journalist use in
order reach their audiences are changing immensely.
While the members of the Baby
Boomer generation, and the older member of Generation X, still hold onto the nostalgic
and tangible newspapers, once their generation is either outnumbered by the
younger generations, or they pass away completely, the landscape of the
journalism world will change yet again. The younger generations, such as Millennial
and Generation Z, will further implement technology into every aspect of every
day life. Having a tablet will be just as common as having a cellphone, or a
television. Therefore, I believe that if news organizations would spend more
time focusing on developing a strong and loyal following for their digital newspapers
and magazines, then the job of a journalist would be better secured.
One of the ways that news organizations
can further secure their standing moving into the next decade is to stop
running away, or discrediting, the power of social media. While the older
demographics may not fully understand the draw or effect that social media has
among the younger demographics, it is becoming increasingly obvious that social
media is a huge part of todays society. The bottom line is this, social and
digital media are now in the final stages of replacing what most consider to be
outdated outlets of information, i.e. newspapers and magazines. While the
decline of print journalism has been slow and painstaking for those who have
lost their jobs due to cutbacks, I believe that we will be seeing even more
cutbacks and closings in the years to come. So, sayonara
to the days of print journalism and hello to the technological steadfast world
of digital media.
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