Recently, two major newspapers circulated their final print publications: The Rocky Mountain News in Denver and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Similar fates may await the San Francisco Chronicle and the Boston Globe, and several newspaper groups have previously filed bankruptcy. These actions have re-sparked conversations about the ongoing future of print media in the face of growing digital outlets. How can you choose to really get your news? Have you been still getting a newspaper simply out of habit? What’re the digital-age options, and what will work best for you?
After their hay day in the 1940s, newspapers have experienced gradual decline in circulation and advertising revenue. First, the decline was blamed on television’s increasing popularity and now easy access to web sites, podcasts and social networking feeds further threaten the medium.
Newspapers Go Digital
Most newspapers have recognized the necessity to create an online presence. In fact, even although Seattle Post-Intelligencer halted its print edition, its site lives on. pool result If you haven’t already, find the online version of your chosen local, national or international publication and explore new ways to “read about it.”
Newspapers have struggled with finding the right revenue model for providing online use of content. Some allow it to be available free and rely solely on revenue from online advertisers. Others newspapers may require registration or even charge a fee for access to some content. And, others still allow it to be easy, and free, to see today’s headlines but charge for downloading content from the archives.
Many newspaper web sites offer RSS feeds which will deliver the news headlines right into a digital feed reader like Google Reader or NewsGator. You’re also likely to get several options for having newsletters delivered to your email inbox that cover daily events, breaking news or your personal custom-selected topics.
If you’re in the market for a second-hand bike or you’re launching employment search, most newspapers’ sites provide online tools which can be easier to browse and search compared to the print version. Plus, your fingers will stay clean!
Obviously, if you’re in the market for used goods you may be more likely to visit popular and growing sites like eBay or Craigslist. And, if a new job is in your future, CareerBuilder and Monster probably arrived at mind. In fact, many newspapers have partnered with sites like CareerBuilder to provide their searchable, online job postings.
Newspapers aren’t the only real “traditional” media to go digital. Most local and national television stations also deliver news via their web sites. The biggies like CNN, MSNBC and Fox News maintain their reputation for breaking big news first online as well as off. You can register for his or her “breaking news” email alerts to be certainly one of the first to ever know.
Somebody needs to break the news headlines, and in today’s digital world, it’s not necessarily a reporter. Real people involved with real situations can post their experiences straight to web sites or social networking feeds like Twitter or Facebook. When you yourself have a narrow field of interest, you might find that you will get better “reporting” from people who share your interests.
Accessing your newspaper digitally may appear great, but you certainly can’t take your PC to the local coffee shop. Today there are lots of easier, and lighter-weight, options to take the news headlines with you.
When you yourself have a good phone like the iPhone or BlackBerry, it is simple to view mobile-ready versions of popular news sites. Or, scan the headlines in your email newsletters then click when you wish to learn more. Your phone’s browser should take you right where you wish to go.
For a slightly more traditional experience, you should use a digital device like Amazon’s Kindle 2 and sign up to newspapers electronically. You won’t waste paper, and you’ll still have today’s edition at your fingertips.
For many, the appeal of newspapers goes beyond reading about yesterday’s events. You might like the tactile connection with flipping through a pile of newsprint or scratching your path through the daily crossword. No digital media will replace that.
For others, however, hanging onto a newspaper subscription is about getting advertisements and coupons you might otherwise miss. Advertisers don’t want to miss you either. In anticipation of declining newspaper readership, they have found new ways to digitally share ads and coupons. Target, WalMart, JCPenney’s and other retailers provide electronic replicas of their weekly circulars on the web sites. In fact, Target has occasionally skipped newspaper distribution completely to operate a vehicle more traffic to its site. Find the ads on your chosen retailers’ sites, or have a look at Sunday Saver for quick links.
If you’re a discount clipper, consider becoming a discount printer. You can search for exactly the coupons you would like instead to be lured into buying products you otherwise wouldn’t if you hadn’t found a discount in the Sunday paper. Begin with your chosen store’s or brand’s site for great deals. You’ll also find great sites designed to assist you find and organize coupons such as for example Coupons.com, CouponMom, Coupon Cabin and others.
