The Newspaper Extinction

I consider reading the news as being an attribute associated with those who are or want to be of a higher status in society. Not only can they afford it, they can afford to use their time to read from the front to back – even the business and sports sections.

In class, it was said that Generation Y does not or would not consider reading the news. I’m Generation Y, and I don’t like missing out on my dose of the New Zealand Herald at some point in the day. Of course, I can’t deny that I’d rather read online than have the physical paper. But that’s only because it’s free online. If the paper we’re delivered to my house each morning for free, I would not be complaining.

Reading the news online makes things so selective. Supposedly, this is to make things easier or more interesting to readers. I disagree. Sometimes, when I read online and I come home to find the newspaper, I see all the stories I failed to come across while online. Maybe I’m just not thorough enough when I read online. But, I guess, reading the news online is only good for those who don’t want to have to feel obliged to read the full physical paper they have paid for when in a rush in today’s time pressured society. Top stories, headlines and, discussions and comments (which has somewhat been replaced with the creation of a nzherald.co.nz Facebook group) made about certain issues are always the bits and pieces looked out for. Oh, and don’t forget Sideswipe.

I would’ve thought putting up information online was one way of eliminating the need to cut down so many trees to make paper. However, I do hate to think that the newspaper will become extinct in the next decade or so. I want my children, and my children’s children to have at least that as a token of the past (especially if it ends up having to be paid for online).