Computers and multimedia are in, paper and pencil are out. That is a simple fact. All aspects of society are changing at a rapid rate and technology is at the forefront. One major change due to technology has occurred in the way we get our news and the way it is presented.
Flipping through the pages of a newspaper while sipping coffee in the morning and sharing the comics among siblings may be a thing of the past, but a culture shift in society cannot kill the tradition of journalism.
The cold hard computer screen sitting on the desk in the corner can never offer the kind of community a print paper provides. Print is so much more charismatic and charming than any source of online or television news.
“If you have a good story, well told, it doesn’t matter how it is presented,”Jam Sardar, News Director of CBS Lansing said. “The trick is finding the stories. I know a lot of good storytellers, but I really value the story finders.”
With the time available for gathering information and care taken in the writing process of just one story in an issue of print, stories have so much potential to be great. In contrast, for mobile journalism to be successful, a rush to be the first to break the news can make a story impersonal.
While mobile journalism can give the audience a chance to be involved, this opens new doors to risk. Misinformation can be easily spread, inappropriate videos and pictures can ruin reputations and valuable information can be easily lost in the rush to be the first to publish a story. Little can be done to prevent the risks of citizen journalism, especially in the digitized world.
“There is a constant battle between being first than being right with mobile journalism,” Tricia Bobeda, Web Producer of WBEZ 95.1 Fm of Chicago said. “I would rather be right.”
Some may argue this new and more risky digital world of journalism is more economically stable than a printed paper. Ink, paper, delivery, etc all has to be accounted for with a print paper in cost and while the cost is very small for mobile journalism, so is the gain.
“We haven’t found a lot of ways to make money through digital journalism,” Sardar said. “We can make the digital media; the problem is making money with digital media. Digital ads make no profit.”
Both print and mobile forms of journalism have their pros and cons, but local journalism will always be best portrayed with good old fashioned paper. The roots and tradition to all the favorites of pop culture and multimedia will forever live in the local newspaper.
For those who value their daily dose of comics and hotlines, all hope is not lost. Support of the local newspaper is not only easy but also important to its survival in this crazy mixed up world of social media and pop culture.
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