The death of print media: Fact sheet blog tasks
1) What has happened to print media in the last 30 years?
In the last 30 years Print media has declined in its dominance of the media industry.Newspapers were the main news source for people.Newspapers was the most accessible outlay for people to get information. Since then, the development of technology such as the internet and TV have impacted the newspaper industry. Because these services were free, it became an expectation for people to gain their news for free, causing less people being willing to pay for their news. The development of mobile phones also allowed people to access the internet away from home, meaning they had access to lots of articles on the go. As a result newspapers have lost alot of power in the news industry as they struggle to make a profit to keep printing and pay journalists.
2) Why is the Independent newspaper such a good case study for the decline in print media?
The Independent newspaper is a good case study as it is the most recent to have stopped printing newspapers. After its release in 1986, the Independent gained a wide readership as they offered an unbiased approach to journalism and had many readers. The Independent was sold to Evgeny Lebedev for £1 and £9.25m over the next 10 months. The newspaper got rid of their print forms of the news and only has a presence online known as the MailOnline.
3) What was the Independent newspaper famous for?
It became well known for having a new "unbiased" manor to journalism. In 2011, the tagline was "free from political bias, free from proprietorial influence". They also became well known for their unorthodox campaigning front pages.
4) What did the then-owner of the Independent, Evgeny Lebedev, say about the newspaper's digital-only future?
The previous owner of the Independent, Evgney Lebedev talked about the newspaper becoming "digital-only" in the future. He also said “The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers. They’re showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.”
5) How do online newspapers make money?
Online newspapers make money is by featuring adverts on their website. They also make money from "Click-bait" which is the more people that click on their website/article, the more revenue they will generate. This has resulted in alot more soft news and celebrity articles as this is what draws the most "Click-bait".
6) What did the Independent's longest-serving editor Simon Kelner warn regarding the switch to digital?
The longest-serving editor of the Independent Simon Kelner stated "“For me, the power of the Independent came from the variety of voices, the originality in its design and the iconoclastic feel of the paper. It is very difficult to replicate that in digital form. And it is even more difficult to do that with a paper like the Independent.”. The warning that he was refering to the switch to digital was that the Independent will lose it's power because the print version was popular and wont be able to be replicated again.
7) What is the concern with fake news? What does 'post-truth' refer to?
Fake news is a concern because it is can be found all over the internet and social media, making it highly accessible. People are becoming misinformed because of the widespread fake news, creating arguments and opinions which are false. It is easy for anybody to go online and create fake news which causes a concern. The term "post-truth" means people are more likely to accept an argument based on their emotions and beliefs, which has made it easier for fake news to become so prominent as these people will believe an article as it lines up with their beliefs and opinions, further fuelling the fire.
8) What is your view on the decline in print media? Should news be free? Is it a concern that established media brands such as the Independent can no longer afford to exist as a printed newspaper?
I believe that the decline in media print is something which was bound to happen following the evolution in technology. Big media brands must evolve and find a new way to produce news outlets and adapt to create sufficient funding. The loss of quality journalism isnt down to the decline in print media, but rather the revenue is harder to generate. As long as there is quality journalism, then the decline in print media wont be a big deal. Finding the funding for these journalists is a different issue which stems from the decline.
In the last 30 years Print media has declined in its dominance of the media industry.Newspapers were the main news source for people.Newspapers was the most accessible outlay for people to get information. Since then, the development of technology such as the internet and TV have impacted the newspaper industry. Because these services were free, it became an expectation for people to gain their news for free, causing less people being willing to pay for their news. The development of mobile phones also allowed people to access the internet away from home, meaning they had access to lots of articles on the go. As a result newspapers have lost alot of power in the news industry as they struggle to make a profit to keep printing and pay journalists.
2) Why is the Independent newspaper such a good case study for the decline in print media?
The Independent newspaper is a good case study as it is the most recent to have stopped printing newspapers. After its release in 1986, the Independent gained a wide readership as they offered an unbiased approach to journalism and had many readers. The Independent was sold to Evgeny Lebedev for £1 and £9.25m over the next 10 months. The newspaper got rid of their print forms of the news and only has a presence online known as the MailOnline.
3) What was the Independent newspaper famous for?
It became well known for having a new "unbiased" manor to journalism. In 2011, the tagline was "free from political bias, free from proprietorial influence". They also became well known for their unorthodox campaigning front pages.
4) What did the then-owner of the Independent, Evgeny Lebedev, say about the newspaper's digital-only future?
The previous owner of the Independent, Evgney Lebedev talked about the newspaper becoming "digital-only" in the future. He also said “The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers. They’re showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.”
5) How do online newspapers make money?
Online newspapers make money is by featuring adverts on their website. They also make money from "Click-bait" which is the more people that click on their website/article, the more revenue they will generate. This has resulted in alot more soft news and celebrity articles as this is what draws the most "Click-bait".
6) What did the Independent's longest-serving editor Simon Kelner warn regarding the switch to digital?
The longest-serving editor of the Independent Simon Kelner stated "“For me, the power of the Independent came from the variety of voices, the originality in its design and the iconoclastic feel of the paper. It is very difficult to replicate that in digital form. And it is even more difficult to do that with a paper like the Independent.”. The warning that he was refering to the switch to digital was that the Independent will lose it's power because the print version was popular and wont be able to be replicated again.
7) What is the concern with fake news? What does 'post-truth' refer to?
Fake news is a concern because it is can be found all over the internet and social media, making it highly accessible. People are becoming misinformed because of the widespread fake news, creating arguments and opinions which are false. It is easy for anybody to go online and create fake news which causes a concern. The term "post-truth" means people are more likely to accept an argument based on their emotions and beliefs, which has made it easier for fake news to become so prominent as these people will believe an article as it lines up with their beliefs and opinions, further fuelling the fire.
8) What is your view on the decline in print media? Should news be free? Is it a concern that established media brands such as the Independent can no longer afford to exist as a printed newspaper?
I believe that the decline in media print is something which was bound to happen following the evolution in technology. Big media brands must evolve and find a new way to produce news outlets and adapt to create sufficient funding. The loss of quality journalism isnt down to the decline in print media, but rather the revenue is harder to generate. As long as there is quality journalism, then the decline in print media wont be a big deal. Finding the funding for these journalists is a different issue which stems from the decline.
