The Vanishing Newspaper Saving Journalism in the Information Age By: Philip Meyers 2004

Relevance  Newspapers have been in existence for centuries, but for more than thirty years the newspaper industry has been losing readers at a slow but steady rate.  The culprit is technology and its competing demands on the public’s time.  The internet has offered many advantages over traditional print media.  If newspapers continue to lose readers, will they eventually vanish from existence all together?

General Information  Meyer is a Journalism professor at the University of North Carolina.  He takes the perspective that there will always be room for print journalism in this technological age.  He believes the history of other media is that new technology doesn't totally replace them. It just drives them into specialized niches where they can flourish in a different way.

Author’s Thesis  “This book is an attempt to isolate and describe the factors that made journalism work as a business in the past and that might also make it work with the changing technologies of the present and future” (Meyer 3).  Meyer believes the formula to saving newspapers is: good journalism = credibility = readership = influence = profit.

My Critique Positives  Meyer offers many interesting ideas backed up by a lot of statistical evidence.  Many of his ideas make sense and I believe newspapers could really benefit from using his ideas in their business.  The book was well organized and ideas were presented in a systematic logical sense.

My Critique Negatives  Meyer relies on a lot of data and research to support his argument that was compiled before the explosion of the internet.  The credibility of his argument is unclear because his evidence makes his argument believable five to ten years ago, but maybe not in today’s society.

Scholarly Critique: Tom Regan  “A future filled with vanishing ink ; With 50 million Americans going online for news each day, the Web has the edge.”  Support: Regan believes newspapers provide an experience that you can’t find on the internet. He writes: “On Sundays, I'm in the mood (and have time) to read a print product. I want to read longer, thoughtful pieces. I want the experience that comes with a cup of coffee and sunlight streaming through the window”. Regan believes newspapers provide an experience that you can’t find on the internet. He writes: “On Sundays, I'm in the mood (and have time) to read a print product. I want to read longer, thoughtful pieces. I want the experience that comes with a cup of coffee and sunlight streaming through the window”. “But while the reign of print as the most important news source may soon end, the role that newspapers play will continue to be important, people trust newspapers and that the first place people tend to look online for news is their newspaper's online edition”. “But while the reign of print as the most important news source may soon end, the role that newspapers play will continue to be important, people trust newspapers and that the first place people tend to look online for news is their newspaper's online edition”.  Oppositional: He believes the internet provides something print media cannot “I like news on the Web for another reason. In today's environment of huge media conglomerates, the Internet is, for now, the one place you can find a true diversity of news voices. A place where mainstream media is not the only choice for news and opinions. He believes the internet provides something print media cannot “I like news on the Web for another reason. In today's environment of huge media conglomerates, the Internet is, for now, the one place you can find a true diversity of news voices. A place where mainstream media is not the only choice for news and opinions.

Scholarly Critique: Paul Farhi  “A bright future for newspapers: stop hanging the crepe”.  Supportive: Farhi feels newspapers face many hurtles which are causing readership to decline he says: “young readers are scarce, newsroom budgets are tight, and the competition remains unrelenting. Newspapers have wounded themselves with a series of credibility- shredding scandals and screwups”. Farhi feels newspapers face many hurtles which are causing readership to decline he says: “young readers are scarce, newsroom budgets are tight, and the competition remains unrelenting. Newspapers have wounded themselves with a series of credibility- shredding scandals and screwups”. He believes there is some truth behind the statistics. He believes there is some truth behind the statistics.

Scholarly Critique: Paul Farhi cont.  Oppositional Although he believes there to be some truth behind the concern of the vanishing newspaper he thinks the concerns are over exaggerated. He writes: Although he believes there to be some truth behind the concern of the vanishing newspaper he thinks the concerns are over exaggerated. He writes: “Media accounts of the rise and fall of newspapers are greatly exaggerated, if not flat wrong. The case for the survival of the daily paper is at least as compelling as the one for its much-reported demise. Considering the hurricane of change that is buffeting all segments of the news media these days, I'd argue that no part of the business is as firmly anchored as the average daily newspaper. Rather than accepting their own mortality, newspapers may have the best chance of any of the old media to survive in a new-media world.”“Media accounts of the rise and fall of newspapers are greatly exaggerated, if not flat wrong. The case for the survival of the daily paper is at least as compelling as the one for its much-reported demise. Considering the hurricane of change that is buffeting all segments of the news media these days, I'd argue that no part of the business is as firmly anchored as the average daily newspaper. Rather than accepting their own mortality, newspapers may have the best chance of any of the old media to survive in a new-media world.” Farhi argues that “compared with the rest of the media industry, newspapers are doing no worse, and in some respects quite a bit better, than the competition.” Farhi argues that “compared with the rest of the media industry, newspapers are doing no worse, and in some respects quite a bit better, than the competition.”

Scholarly Critique: John Morton  “Wall street squeeze: will rising newsprint prices and an increasing focus on the internet trigger more newsroom cuts?”  Supportive: Morton agrees with Meyer believing the newsprint industry has been collectively unprofitable for years. He argues that the industry seems determined to correct this by reducing supply and cutting staff. Morton agrees with Meyer believing the newsprint industry has been collectively unprofitable for years. He argues that the industry seems determined to correct this by reducing supply and cutting staff.  Oppositional: Morton suggests the newspaper industry needs to focus on the online aspects of newspapers and that this is where profit can be achieved. He says “this will require newspaper managements to recognize that Internet revenue is a part of the whole and not some separate cash cow”. Morton suggests the newspaper industry needs to focus on the online aspects of newspapers and that this is where profit can be achieved. He says “this will require newspaper managements to recognize that Internet revenue is a part of the whole and not some separate cash cow”. He believes saving print newspapers can be achieved by looking to the internet, not to the journalism content itself. He believes saving print newspapers can be achieved by looking to the internet, not to the journalism content itself.

Summary  My Critique: Positive Meyer offers well thought out, intelligent solutions to the decline in newspaper readership. Meyer offers well thought out, intelligent solutions to the decline in newspaper readership. Not the most exciting read, contains endless statistical studies as well as business models. Not the most exciting read, contains endless statistical studies as well as business models. When Meyer focuses in on his main arguments it is interesting and thought provoking. When Meyer focuses in on his main arguments it is interesting and thought provoking.

Summary: cont.  Scholarly Critique: Positive Most agree that the decline in readership is something that needs to be examined. Most agree that the decline in readership is something that needs to be examined. It is useful to examine these issues to help determine the state of the newspaper business and its prospects. It is useful to examine these issues to help determine the state of the newspaper business and its prospects. Unlike Meyer, most critics believe the newspaper industry will fix itself or that answer to saving newspapers is incorporating them on the internet. Unlike Meyer, most critics believe the newspaper industry will fix itself or that answer to saving newspapers is incorporating them on the internet. Overall the general feeling is that newspapers have a long history of successfully adapting to new competitive threats and they will continue to do this in the future. Overall the general feeling is that newspapers have a long history of successfully adapting to new competitive threats and they will continue to do this in the future.

My Beliefs  Newspapers have successfully adapted to new media throughout history, but would it hurt to incorporate Meyer’s ideas?  I don’t think so.  Meyer suggests readability, credibility and influence can help regain readership and in turn make profit. Having a newspaper exhibit these qualities certainly would not hurt it.