Katelyn Wilburn, Campus Carrier opinions editor
With the growth of digital media, physical newspapers have been struggling to adapt, especially with decreasing budgets. This is due to the quick publishing turnaround, the wider audience reach and the overall lower cost of online news. Although the growth of digital media is inevitable and beneficial, the decline of print media is harmful because it reduces permanence, depth and engagement.
Think of when you have held a newspaper. Physical copies are nostalgic; the feel and smell of the paper brings sweet memories to those who hold them. Printed media can easily be saved and revisited by the owners. With digital media there are difficult-to-navigate websites, disappearing links and a need for Wi-Fi. Online stories are buried by the hundreds of other online links surrounding them, and they can be edited and deleted within seconds.
Media depth is important to consider as well. With a printed publication, there is limited space, meaning the selection of stories is intentional. While this can be considered a downside, it also encourages writers to produce the best work they are capable of. Along with the meaningful selection, stories that are on paper are final once in print, as it is very difficult to recall hundreds of papers. This places more emphasis on the importance of context, nuance and thorough storytelling within articles.
Online news websites encourage speed rather than the depth necessary for nuanced news. The pressure to publish quickly, meet deadlines and provide frequent updates instead of fully developed pieces will cause media to chase after easy stories instead of producing meaningful media. The focus will shift to getting the most clicks, having the catchiest headline and maximizing metrics.
Not only will this shift the influence on how newsrooms operate, but it will also hurt readers. Digital media such as short videos have already been shown to lower our attention spans, and if readers cannot find the material they’re looking for within a short skim of a story, they will move on to the next stimulating article, photo or video. This will cause reporters to oversimplify important issues.
Social media also isn’t available to everyone. The Pew Research center explains that 91% of Americans have a cellphone, but other countries, such as Mexico and the Philippines, have much lower rates at 86% and 80% respectively. This means there is much of the world’s population that would not easily be able to see most of the media that is being produced, making them less informed. This defeats the purpose of news, as the goal is to produce information in ways that can reach almost all individuals.
Convenience is not the most important part of a newsroom’s job. Instead, publications should be focusing on producing meaningful media that reaches the largest number of individuals possible. This isn’t to say digital media is bad and should be prohibited, but incorporating both into the news world is highly important for the future.