Newspapers are going through an intense period of soul-searching, with articles appearing just about every day about whether print will survive in an internet age.
One of the more balanced pieces is in this week’s Time magazine by US commentator Michael Kinsley.
In the article, he makes a difference between the future of newspapers and the future of journalism.
“The “me to you” model of news gathering – a professional reporter, attuned to the fine distinctions between “off the record” and “deep background,” prizing factual accuracy in the narrowest sense – may well give way to some kind of “us to us” communitarian arrangement of the sort that thrives on the Internet.”
“But there is room between the New York Times and myleftarmpit.com for new forms that liberate journalism from its encrusted conceits while preserving its standards, like accuracy.”
His conclusion – newspapers need to look at the bigger picture and start working on strategies to remain relevant as news organisations, rather than as a print-based delivery channel.
“Newspapers on paper are on the way out. Whether newspaper companies are on the way out too depends. Some of them are going to find the answers. And some are going to fritter away the years quarreling about staff cuts.”
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