The newspaper industry is obviously in decline. The newspaper used to be the primary source of news and information for the average American. It’s where people found out about the Titanic sinking, the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, and that Dewey defeated Truman to become the 34th President. (Oh how I long for the halcyon days of the Dewey presidency.)
Then television came about and threatened the newspaper’s supremacy. Unlike the newspaper, TV news did not need to take time to be printed, meaning it could get facts out even faster. Still, the newspaper survived because people could read it whenever they wanted. Unlike TV, the newspaper could be read on the train, at work, or while taking a giant crap. TV news and the newspaper co-existed peacefully for a while, although TV had an edge on breaking news. Through TV, most people learned of the Kennedy assassination, the moon landing, and that Gore beat Bush in the 2000 election. (Oh how I long for the halcyon days of the Gore presidency.)
With the internet, the newspaper has met its match. The internet is cheaper, gets information faster, and is more interactive than the newspaper. Unlike TV, the internet can go on the train, is available at work, and can even be accessed while passing the largest of turds.
So what does the newspaper offer that the internet can’t? Unlike the internet, a newspaper is a physical entity, i.e., paper. Ever see a homeless man try to clean a windshield with a youtube clip? How about a birdcage lined with Google ads? Can you pack fragile dishes in The Huffington Post? Of course you can’t. If America loses the newspaper, we will lose a valuable source of cheap, readily available paper.
The newspaper – news you can abuse.
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