When early
journalists first began to write newspapers, they had no idea the publications
would ever come as far as they have. The periodicals whose initial purpose was to "make money" have definitely come a long way. We’ve gone from early newspapers with just
a few pages, to newspapers with multiple sections, to most newspapers now being
available online. However, hundreds of years ago, using “new-fangled”
contraptions such as computers, servers or a database was merely a dream… and
that might just be what’s most ironic about it all.
Nowadays,
online newspapers are prospering more than ever before, while actual newspapers
are shrinking in size, making a softer, more inaudible “thud” as they hit the
front porch every morning. Online newspapers initially had a few simple
purposes: to make the paper available for those who couldn’t afford a
subscription, to keep up with the changing times, to “go green” and conserve
paper, etc. But, there are a few sides to the story that have yet to be examined.
Are digital newspapers yielding less readers? Is it in fact more difficult to
obtain computer access that to obtain an actual newspaper, itself? Are readers
getting too lazy to turn on their computers and find a site that provides them
with a newspaper they’re comfortable with? Having a newspaper delivered
everyday was a much more “in your face” kind of approach to updating people on
current affairs, so, are people getting too lazy to look into an online
newspaper? Has the slow switch to online made it more difficult for some avid
readers? Has the go green/ save paper advantage balanced itself out with the
electricity bill for using the computer more often?
In short, has
the online publication of newspapers been a benefit or a disadvantage?
