JRN 4440/SP15

I chose to do my summary on The Transition to Digital Journalism by Paul Grabowicz. I selected this article because I am someone that particularly struggles with computers and navigating an online presence, and find myself continuing to prefer paper and print copies of things I wish to read. I thought this article would be a helpful reminder of the dire importance for a journalist of any kind to be able to navigate all sorts of media, as journalism continues to move forward with the Digital Age. The first few paragraphs in this article show evidence of a decline in those subscribing to print editions of the paper and an increase in online blog visits. This in turn causes a financial dilemma. The cost of advertising that can be displayed on a paper’s website does not make up for the money provided by those subscribing to receive a paper copy, thus forcing many papers into bankruptcy during the climb of the Internet starting around 2008. While this continues to be a problem and newspapers are working on different solutions in this regard, they cannot ignore the need to create and nourish an online presence. One way publishers are teaching their writers how to transition into more web focused writing is called “reverse publishing.” This simply means writers are being encouraged to produce articles acceptable for the web first, and the print versions second, putting further importance in the online copies. While a deeper focus online is undoubtedly helping, this brings its own set of challenges. The competition on the web is fierce. For one, the ad market. Ads are one of the few ways online papers can create revenue. But there are thousands of options for advertising on the internet, why choose a paper’s website when you can drop and ad on Craigslist for free? Sports section on the internet suffer because most sports teams or sports broadcasts have their own website. Why check into your local paper’s website if you can log into your team’s own site and get the score there? In the 2000s the concept of Web 2.0 appeared on the scene. Research showed that websites were more successful when they were actually engaging their audience, rather than passively offering information. Allowing readers to comment, send in pictures, or providing social media showed an increase in interest. Much of the remainder of the article discusses individual networks and programs papers are beginning to use to progress with the climb in digitalization. Blogging is becoming more and more popular amongst the newspaper community. Papers are not only making blogs for themselves, but also encouraging their writers to have their own displaying their personal opinions, often linking them to their website. While there is usually some protocol in place of what can and cannot be shared by someone employed by their company, they do allow a more laid back feel and give the readers a feeling of a more personal connection. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, and countless other Mobile applications are also being deployed to keep up with the Social Media craze. While this allows readers a connection with the news in all sorts of ways, there is also often an encouragement to drive them to the papers original website, which remains their primary source of income. While applications are becoming a primary focus, the newer devices also call for a revolution. Papers are paying more attention to their layouts and formats in regards to tablets and iPads. In conclusion, while newspaper began as primarily print publications the climb in digitalization calls for a revolution for us all. As newspapers have always displayed a thirst for knowledge and a hunger to inform the public, they will continue to grow and evolve as the people do, to serve their audience now and in ages to come.