Since the development of the printing press, the invention of radio, television, and the Internet, journalism has evolved from medium to medium, with technology serving as the catalyst.
As print publication begins to reduce – due in large part to competition with the Internet, – a new era of journalism begins to open doors that print cannot accomplish.
“We may be watching the death of print journalism, but we’re not seeing the death of journalism,” Christian said. “We don’t need this huge hulking delivery system, what we need is a mouse and an Internet connection.”
“I think print is slowly phasing out, it’s sad to see [it],” said Richard Junger, a WMU journalism professor and chair of the Western Herald Board of Directors.As people begin to look into the Web more, newspapers find the challenge to reach more readers and bring more depth to their coverage.
“We are in a transition that is very exciting… we’re reaching people in a variety of ways,” said Rebecca Pierce, editor of the Kalamazoo Gazette. “You can’t even begin to count the many benefits it provides no matter where you are, you can reach people in ways we never had before.”
As newspapers examine how to effectively function on the web, there is the question of what brings readers to the online news sources, and what works best.
“I think we need to be more adapt to changing with the times with what readers want us to provide them,” said Brian Abbott, general manager of the Western Herald.
With blogs, polls and the ability to comment at the click of a button some say that online appeals to readers because it allows for more interaction.“People can produce, not just consume,” Joseph Kayany, Ph.D., associate professor of communications at WMU said. “It becomes quite democratic that more people can distribute their point of view.”
“A lot of people don’t go online to read the newspaper, they’re there to interact, to be provoked, to find out what’s happening,” Pierce said. “We need to recognize it’s not like what we do on paper.”
With videos, audio, slideshows, and visual aids some would say that online provides a way to not just tell a story, but also show one.
“Use the medium to tell the story in the best way,” Christian said. “In helping people understand with online data, you can help clarify what print cannot… it’s not just adding to all the information online, it’s showing why it’s relevant.”
For some people, Internet access – from a computer or a phone – means that news can be found where newsstands are not available.
“I have to say most of what I access in news I access through my Blackberry. For me, personally, [I enjoy] a very simple, straightforward Web site,” said Michael McCullough, general manager and executive director of the Battle Creek Enquirer.
The next question is how will news organizations generate enough revenue to continue operating?
Advertising online has yet to accomplishment what print advertising has, according to the National Newspaper Association of America. The NNAA reported that in the third quarter of 2007 print ad revenue was at $10.1 billion (a 9 percent decline) while online was only $773 million (a 21 percent rise).
“When you put content online for free, the genie is out of the bottle, how do you make money,” Christian said. “When for at least a decade everyone got it for free.”
“There needs to be paid subscriptions,” Kayany said. “In my opinion, that is the only way to go.”
As the Internet constantly evolves, taking journalism with it, the question of where journalism is going, remains a currently updated mystery.
“I think it would be presumptuous of anyone to say they really know today,” Abbott said. “I think any journalist has to be prepared for the change and they have to be prepared for rapid change.”
