Newspapers

No matter what journalist I’ve asked in the past, they all said the same thing: Newspapers will never die. I’ve probably had this discussion with only about 10 journalists, so this is an extremely small sample. But the future of newspapers is an important subject to me. I intend to work for a newspaper when I graduate. Although I’m unsure what to think at this point, I can’t help but be afraid of the unknown. What scares me is the growth of digital media and social networking sites. When games end or national news breaks, everyone across the country knows about it through Twitter, Facebook or breaking news updates online--all of which raises the question: Do we need newspapers anymore if most of the news being printed is available to us instantaneously? Jim Jenks shared his views during his presentation today. In a nutshell, he said that newspapers are the victims of an archaic delivery service, and while he doesn't think they will die anytime soon, he predicts this generation will move into the future, with or without them. Hearing Jenks’ presentation made me feel less afraid because even if newspapers die, reporting won’t. People still need and want the news delivered in some fashion. So whether their work is done only on digital platforms or not, great reporters will always have a place in the industry.