OxBlog

# Posted 11:20 AM by Taylor Owen

WHY PRINT NEWS IS (NEARLY) DEAD TO ME: A couple of weeks ago I attended a panel at the Columbia School of Journalism on the future of newspapers. The panel was held in order to debate a recent piece by The American Prospect Editor Robert Kuttner. I have been writing a long response/rebuttal essay, which I will post a bit about in the coming week, but wanted to just throw out the following anecdote which exemplifies some of the arguments the essay makes.

This week, for some mysterious reason, I have begun to receive the Toronto Star newspaper, delivered daily, in hard copy, to my doorstep. Now for a news junkie, one would think this would be a gift from the gods. What could be better than beginning the day with a perusal of a large market daily? Well, a lot it would seem.

First, is the pure size of the thing. What a waste. Everyday it comes with half a dozen insert adds, some sort of quasi 'magazine' I won't read, and five or six sections that are of absolutely no interest to me. After I have laboriously looked through the first section A, what do I do with the massive amount of paper? Well, straight to the recycle bin has been the trend. Unless you forget to do this for a couple of days, then the kitchen table disappears under an unwieldy mess of paper. I feel guilty just looking at the thing - talk about offending my 'large market' urban environmental sensibilities.

But by partaking in this 'experience' aren't I strengthening our democracy by being civically engaged? Media types argue that there is something called 'incidental reading', that one can only get from print news. The theory goes that by flipping through the paper, one is exposed to stories they otherwise would not have sought out, thereby making them more knowledgeable citizens, and obviously strengthening the democracy in which they are now more actively participating. I won't go into this in great length, as the essay goes into far greater, and slightly less sarcastic, detail, but suffice it to say, the theory is crap.

First, it would take an hour to go through the entire paper, all sections. Even if I do so, I am getting the news that the Toronto Star thinks is important. One source. Some democracy. This is not to say I don't value the perspective or content of the Star, far from it, only that my relationship with them is not monogamous. Second, the internet is FAR better at providing incidental value added than a messy pile of paper. What do you think 'surfing' is? Even if I might want to know what the Star's editorial board deems 'news worthy', I can look at their webpage (nicely redesigned I might add) and with the scroll of my mouse wheel, scan dozens of articles. How is this not exposing me to a wide range of content?

OK, I'll save the other ten reasons why I don't fully agree with Kuttner for the article. But how do others feel about this? Are there print news hold-outs among Oxblog readers? If so what do you like about it? (...and nostalgia doesn't count, or proves my point, as the essay will explain)

Labels: newspapers, online news

(8) opinions -- Add your opinion

Comments:

Can you fold a website in half and rest it on the table next to your cornflakes?

Can you lie in bed on a Sunday evening reading a website? Then toss it on the floor and drift off to sleep?

For the moment, print news still has a major edge in terms of portability. It is also a lot easier on the eyes.

Some may hope for the simplicitly of getting all one's news from a single source, either print or online. But I'm willing to handle the complexity of two media, since they each have their own particular advantages.

Newspapers still have a major edge in terms of portability.

# posted by

Ariel David Adesnik : 11:56 AM

Hey David,
"Can you fold a website in half and rest it on the table next to your cornflakes?"

I don't half to fold it in half, because its already a manageable size.

"Can you lie in bed on a Sunday evening reading a website? Then toss it on the floor and drift off to sleep?"

Much to the frustration of my girlfriend, I often do.

"It is also a lot easier on the eyes."

Here I agree with you, although this is changing, and I think applies more to books than news.

"Some may hope for the simplicitly of getting all one's news from a single source, either print or online. But I'm willing to handle the complexity of two media, since they each have their own particular advantages."

Here I think we have to separate content from its delivery. I completely agree that content diversity/complexity is valuable. However, my guess is that the physical paper delivery mechanism is a dying breed. We may still have the option of getting it, but it will likely increasingly be a niche market.

"Newspapers still have a major edge in terms of portability."

Maybe local portability. But it's tough to get international papers outside of their host cities. Also, the web, in no small way, provides the ultimate access threshold, making it more portable across physical and socio-economic spaces.

# posted by

Taylor Owen : 12:17 PM

Also the Star kinda... sucks.

# posted by

Jacob : 2:25 PM

"Can you fold a website in half and rest it on the table next to your cornflakes?"

Sure, if you replace the word "website" with "laptop."

# posted by

Anonymous : 6:24 PM

Some may hope for the simplicitly of getting all one's news from a single source, removals either print or online. But I'm willing to handle the complexity of two media, since they each have their own particular advantages.

# posted by

Anonymous : 6:08 AM

I agree almost completely with Taylor, though of course he's much more sympathetic to the perspective of the Star than I am. Is there anything newspapers are just intrinsically better at than interested hobbyists? I can't think of anything. They have more access to newsworthy people at the moment, but that's changing.

Brilliant bit of spam, mr moving company.

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:46 PM

If newspapers die how will I start my charcoal grill? Lighter fluid is just not an option because of the residual flavor. I've tried old phone books and brown paper bags, but nothing lights the old charcoal better than the classified section.

# posted by

Unknown : 3:20 PM

By 1892, replica watch group experienced grown to this kind of the magnitude that he needed to relocate from his real outlying space within of the Canton of Jura, to La Chaux-de-Fonds. La Chaux-de-fonds was, in the time, considered as the especially middle of check out making in Switzerland.

# posted by

Anonymous : 8:47 PM