I remember years ago, my Grandfather would wake up early to walk to the corner store to get his newspapers. It was a morning ritual that my Grandfather enjoyed to see what was happening in the world around him. Up until recently, a large portion of people relied on newspapers to get all the news of the day. Reading on subways, buses, in parks, anywhere people had a chance to spend time and read. Nowadays however, with computers, our hand held devices, and the Internet the way it is, we don’t even have to turn on the TV anymore to get a wide view on world events, let alone, buy and carry around a newspaper. For myself, I usually get my news from RSS feeds. If I can get information directly from the news source, then why would I need a middle-man, so to speak, to give me their opinion on the news? I don’t. Not anymore.
But will printed newspapers be a thing of the past?
Yes, but not quite yet.
I know many people who currently still get their news from newspapers. To them, getting news from the Internet just isn’t the same. Maybe it feels too impersonal. Maybe they don’t know where to go. Maybe it’s the feeling of holding that newspaper under their arm that they can’t get from a computer. Whatever the reason may be, newspapers aren’t going away completely, at least not right now.
But that doesn’t mean some publications aren’t already moving over to online-only status.
For centuries, readers thumbed through the crackling pages of Sweden’s Post-och Inrikes Tidningar newspaper. No longer. The world’s oldest paper still in circulation has dropped its paper edition and now exists only in cyberspace. The newspaper, founded in 1645 by Sweden’s Queen Kristina, became a Web-only publication on Jan. 1, 2007. (via American Chronicle)
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer becomes the latest paper to stop putting out print editions. Instead the company will shift to an online news source with a smaller staff. (via Minnesota Public Radio News)
The Internet allows everyone to see a bigger picture of the news going on around us. The story doesn’t always end with the last sentence on the page. If you read a story online and don’t understand the logistics, rest assured, there will be more information on the topic elsewhere to research.
It may not be happening right away, but it’s not far-fetched that in the future, just like Video Cassette Recorders, printed newspapers will indeed be a thing of the past.
