One of the main focuses of the reading was the future of
journalism and the transition from print to Web formats. In order to survive
most major newspapers now have websites and some even post articles on social
media sites. The fate of small local newspapers was also brought up. While some
hyper local papers have garnered a loyal following in their communities others
have fallen by the wayside.
I observed this transition firsthand when I worked for The
Journal, a small newspaper in Seneca, SC. The journalists and editors at this
paper were very stuck in their ways and didn’t really feel that Web was
important because they were writing for an older audience. As a result their
website was pretty terrible.
This reading resonated with me because I know how frustrating it
can be when a legacy news outlet doesn’t want to get with the times. I knew the
paper had a lot of potential, but because of its local focus and the staff
wanting to appeal to an older audience the paper couldn’t realize its full
potential.
I love local news, because I'm interested in the place where I live, but it's seldom done well. In Athens, Flagpole sometimes does a better job of engaging the citizens than the ABH does. Will be interested to see if y'all think this is one of those weeks.
ReplyDeleteThe book describes this inability to keep up with the new technological times as a process of weeding them out. The book really stressed how new innovated ways of reaching out to the public can put one news company ahead of others, and they will be more stable economically. Ensuring your company is stable counts on always striving for that next innovative way of informing society the news, and if a company cannot seem to grasp new technological ways, then there is really no hope for them, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteMy hometown newspaper operates in somewhat the same way. The newspaper is widely available and covers the area well, however, the website is weak. Many people don't realize that it exists at all. I think one way that they could improve their reach could be to update their website. Many of the town residents are young professionals, young couples, and families. Those people are, typically, far more likely to seek news from online sources because they're often online anyway. I'd hate to see the local paper struggle because it's not moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI worked for different news companies. My feeling is that famous newspapers often have many passionate journalists. They are not only good at storytelling, but also good at cooperating with their colleagues. They always are a good team. They are willing to spend couple days or even several months to work for one investigative news. Many local newspapers' journalists lack passion
ReplyDeleteI feel ashamed that I look at local newspapers as inherently inferior when really they are the ones that might get the most accurate information on the town you're living in. It really could be budgetary reasons that local news publications look like they're falling behind, but I think an unwillingness to change is a great point Lindsey made.
ReplyDelete