More skepticism about the future of newspapers

Paul Farhl at the American Journalism Review echoes our pessimistic view of the future of newspapers last week. The article closes with the effect this will have on journalists.

Fink says the emerging newspaper world requires more flexible journalists – those who can churn out quick news stories for the Web site and in-depth analytical pieces for the next day's newspaper, which will be carried on the Web, too. The differences between "print" and "online" operations will largely evaporate within the newsroom, if they haven't already. (USA Today made this official late last year when it announced it would merge its newspaper and online newsrooms.)

Fink thinks daily journalism will be different, but he isn't so sure it will be better: "With the disappearance of so much readership and advertising support, there will be a disappearance of much of the journalism you and I love," he says. "If we're less able to support vigorous, independent journalism, that's a threat to society. It hasn't really occurred to most people that the heart and soul of journalism is being decided right now."

But Paul closes with some hopeful notes:

"...if we simply continue business as usual, it's going to be worse. But if we think about how to preserve and protect the daily paper and how we can reinvent it, if we build a huge online presence, if we can build other businesses around it, I think the future looks bright."

Said another way, we have to reinvent the news business so it thrives on today's cheaper distribution models instead of competing with them. It will be a different newspaper, but it's a different world too.

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