No More Newspapers?

Is there a future for the newspaper? Since today's world is so fast paced not a lot of people have the time to sit down and read a newspaper. Instead, we can can tune in on the radio to listen to the latest news while we drive to work. We can flip on the television, relax and watch the evening news, or we can read news stories on the web with the click of a button. With all the technology we have today it's much easier to find news stories that appeal to us in a short amount of time.

Newspapers have been around in America since the 1700s and have served their purpose for many years. However, some people believe that the newspaper may be coming to an end due to technology and the different mediums we use to find news. Even newspapers themselves create their own websites to display the same news stories they are printing in their papers. So why are so many people turning to the Internet to find news? Well, personally I find the web to be a much quicker and convenient way of finding information. Whether it's reading the latest news, watching videos on You Tube, or doing research for a school project, all the knowledge and information I could possibly need is right at the tip of my fingers. I don't have to search through a library or spend money on a paper, I just have to have a keyword.

Not only is the Internet becoming a main news source for people, but it's also allowing people to become their own journalists. The new craze in Internet news are citizen journalist sites. These sites allow people of a community or neighborhood to post their own news stories, photos, and videos. I checked a few of these sites out including "neighbor go" and they seem like a good idea. However, most of the stories I found were about school events, such as Family History Night at a local elementary school. They're not what you would call "hard news stories," but the purpose of the site is for people to post news that they find interesting or important to them. If the local residents didn't write these small stories that they find important, then no one else would.

Another main news source people are using today is, of course, television. If you're already watching television then why not keep it on to hear the evening news? Television makes it so simple to be up to date on what's going on because there are so many news channels we can choose from, including national and local. Another reason why I think more people turn to television for news rather than the newspaper is because it's visual. Instead of reading, you're listening and watching at the same time. Not only do you hear about a fire, but you also get to see it, which makes the story much more exciting.

Overall, I think the newspaper will still be around for awhile. Even though the world is becoming much more hi-tech, many people still look to the newspaper as their main news source. I think we all use a mix of different mediums to gather information and for many people that includes reading a newspaper. Even though I mainly rely on the Internet and television for my daily news, if an interesting headline catches my attention I'll pick up a paper and read it.