relevant in our changing society. Many people from our grandparents’ generation
still do not know how to use a computer. All their media is in print form or on
television. I think everyone in the class would agree that our generation uses
online media more than our parents do, while our parents view more print media
and television. According to the Newspaper Association of America, about 53% of
Americans ages 18-34 read a print version of the newspaper. 68% of Americans
who are 35 and older read some kind of print version of a newspaper. That
number increases to 77% for Americans 55 and older. This is clear evidence that
the older generations read more traditional news in print than the younger
generation.
I had trouble believing the article by the blogosphere because, first, it was
written two years ago and the number of people moving from traditional media to
new media is increasing at a rapid pace. Second, the pie charts and graphs look
very professional, but the article leaves out a lot of data about the number of
people surveyed, the method used to survey and what demographics were surveyed.
Last, no attribution to any author is always a red flag because the writer is
less culpable for their words.
The last blog post we had was about how email is replacing written forms of letters.
Ms. Jardine’s perspective is similar to what many people think will happen with
traditional media. As we find easier ways to do things, like sending an email
as opposed to the more strenuous act of mailing a letter, more people will move
to the easier technology. I am an aspiring journalist and I went to a sports
writing workshop where Mitch Albom, who is a sports columnist for the Detroit
Free Press, called the newspaper industry a “dying industry.” I had heard this
before, but to hear it from someone who is in the industry and has made such a
great career for himself, I was shocked to hear it. He talked about how the age
of great journalists was coming to an end. The long feature articles, news
stories and columns in newspapers are being put on shorter, simpler and cheaper
posts online. The skill of writing is less important in these quick tweets and blogs.
It is cheaper to get writers because they do not have to be as good and there
is no cost to produce the news because it is not in print. Therefore, producing
lower quality news is actually more profitable. As a result, the trend of
moving to these online forms of media and straying from traditional media is
inevitable in this free market.
Newspaper Association of America. “Newspaper Readership & Audience by Age and Gender.”
I completely agree that how we get out news is based on generation. We are creatures of habit, and I doubt our parents or grandparents will change how they get their news just because it is more modern. Writing skills are on the decline, and these skills are diminishing along with traditional media. How long do you think it will take until newspapers are completely obsolete?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post. I do agree with those statistics and that older generations read more of the traditional news in print. I see this especially with my grandparents who receive 4 different newspapers every morning. They would prefer reading the newspaper over an article on the Internet any day.
ReplyDeleteI found the point you made about the decrease in skillful writers very interesting. I do feel like this is the case because news stories are being shortened and I feel that there is a lot less detail. Everyone is getting lazy and would probably prefer to read a shorter article.
I really enjoyed your post. I completely agree with your comments about older generations still reading newspapers and using older technology. From personal experience, my grandma and father always read the newspaper and use older technology, but my mother and myself use the computer in order to gain newsfeed. My mother uses the computer and is used to our generation of technololgy because she uses it everyday in order to do her job. Technology newsfeed can be great and even save lives, but traditional newsfeed is has a huge impact on everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with a lot you say here. I like how you compared this topic to last week's, because you make aa good point. People want to do things the easy and quick way, and in turn traditional media is being used less and less.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head when you questioned the author's credentials and the authenticity of the information he/she provided. With more and more people having the ability to publish information to the public, people must become more vigilant in their quest for reliable information. In regard to this article, who knows. I just mean in general. When there is more of something, you have to work harder and refine your search to find just what you need and from the right source.
ReplyDelete