No news is good news

Hi,

If ever you despair of the world, try my failproof remedy. Say to yourself: "There was a time before [here name what is bugging you] and there will be a time after it is gone." You can insert anything you like: feminism, John Howard, Alan Jones, George Bush, the ALP... It will make you feel better.

I choose to insert the word "newspapers". Last weekend I did something out of the ordinary: I bought a newspaper. A big fat newspaper. When I had skimmed it and read 2 or 3 items, I was finished with it and had the problem of what to do with it. Half a tonne of paper to go into the waste stream. I used to read 4 newspapers before breakfast each day. Now I get my news on radio, on websites or delivered in special interest newsletters online. And I'm no trend setter in media usage. Little wonder then that The Economist has predicted the death of the newspaper. It has shrunk 50% in 10 years. (Bloody boring rag, really. Bleak world view - money money money.) The Australian wrote an editorial (who reads editorials?) saying news content is king and that Rupert's favourite populist platform in Australia would survive. But news content isn't king anymore. More people every day are switching off the news - which makes them feel frightened and powerless - and amusing themselves with cookery, gardening, collecting, gossiping - live and in the studio (either doing it themselves or watching it on TV). They say that bad news is good news for newspapers. But I believe it's choking them to death. The flight to lifestyle chat is a desperate plea for media culture to be put out of its misery - anything that can make a star of "Kochy" has got to be bad for you. No, the newspaper will go the way of the Town Crier. (Noisy git in a bad costume.)

Cheers!

Michael Kiely

Email responses:

I think you're right, the average newspaper readers will wither away.
Information is too easily available these days.. Particularly for free..

But the mega publishing companies won't lay down without a fight.. Their
livelihood is at stake.. So I'm betting page 3 girls will start
appearing in the Herald-sun/Daily Telegraph within a couple of years..
To help prevent the rot

There will still be the die hard purist who would still buy a newspaper
and devour every inch of it (I'd like to think I'm probably one of them,
information junkie). There won't be many of these kinds, but they'll
keep making newspapers for us... However I'll look forward to being
charged $10 a copy. And what of train reading??.. An institution the world over for daily travellers.. However I guess with the introduction of digital novels and readers.. This will evolve to digital newspaper readers one day..
But ultimately the demise of newspapers will inconvenience millions..
What will children use on their paper mache's?.. How will serial killers
send their taunting letters to police with the words comprising of
letters cut from newspaper headlines?.. How are we going to move houses
without our cups and plates not smashing because they aren't stuffed
with newspapers anymore??

Oh the humanity!!!! Damn you evolution of media technology!!!

Luan
................
I am the biggest fan of this.

When I listen to the radio I change the channel when the news is on. I
also don't read newspapers because its all lies. And I also don't go to
news websites unless something has crashed into the world trade centre
or Steve Irwin has just died.

Give me targeted relevant content from gurus as opposed to junkie 3 day
researched reporters!

Fred

..........
Hope all is well. Just wanted to say I enjoy your daily "news"
broadcasts. Cheers, Michelle