Will Print Media Survive? My Take: Um, Sure.

Posted on October 20th, 2009 2:27pm by Eric Celeste
Filed under Local News

By this evening, I’ll have a much more informed, trenchant analysis of the future of print media in America. That’s because KERA has asked me to sit on a panel with real journalists (DMN managing editor George Rodrigue, SMU prof and writer Mark Vamos, Fingers of Fury) and discuss this subject tonight at their studios with other media navel-gazers in attendance. (Tune in to @ericceleste for some sweeeeeeet tweeeeeeets.) Also because I’m doing a lot of Internet research, and that always leads to a greater understanding of the problems facing print.

I tell you this because I want to pimp the event sparking this discussion: the local television debut of the documentary Stop the Presses: the American Newspaper in Peril, by Mark Birnbaum and Manny Mendoza (the later a longtime writer for the Dallas Morning News). It airs Monday the 26th at 9 p.m. on KERA. Watch it hard with your eyes because it’s good and scary and better than CSI: Miami.

I’m going to go ahead and turn on comments and see if FBvians have any suggestions for me.

10 comments

  1. I’m sorry – who are you again?

    @ 2:31 pm on October 20, 2009

  2. just don’t do this (whatever this is) while on the dais

    http://frontburner.dmagazine.com/2008/10/24/another-in-a-series-of-embarrassing-pictures-of-eric-celeste/

    @ 2:38 pm on October 20, 2009

  3. Watch TDS’s Jason Jones destroy the Queen Bee of the print media.
    http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-june-10-2009/end-times

    @ 3:01 pm on October 20, 2009

  4. Aw, eff. This is tonight? Thanks for the reminder. Seeing as how George will be there, should I bring the hot fudge?

    http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2009/03/news_me_george_rodrigue_takes.php

    @ 3:03 pm on October 20, 2009

  5. You meant “latter.”

    Helpfully,
    MC

    @ 3:12 pm on October 20, 2009

  6. I think that print media (newspapers and magazines) will continue but that major metro newspapers may not. I think that there will be a market for local newspapers/magazines to come back. The soon to be more prevalent e-ink will be what is used to read the news that is currently delivered through print newspapers and magazines.

    The fact that using e-ink or downloadable content is more cost effective and environmentally sound will also affect current print media. Advertising can be increased as there is no physical space limitation (only available memory in the device used to read with). I think it will still take 10-20 years before print media as we know it will be gone. It will exist in electronic forms but not in paper form. That’s just my take.

    @ 3:13 pm on October 20, 2009

  7. Simple. Local news and advertising with lesser amounts of state, national, and global should be the focus of any newspaper. The key is to be diligent in reporting the news in detail without bias, which seems to be a key element in today’s antipathy towards newspapers.
    Newspapers should also make gains as people return to a more simple lifestyle. News on the net or as downloadable content is not relaxing or simple to read. Reading a newspaper does not stir the neurons like going through the routine to obtain electronic news – a good thing. Paper is a true renewal resource and trees absorb up CO2, produce oxygen, and clean the air – all very good things, also.

    @ 9:03 am on October 21, 2009

  8. Yeah…..thats it. Its because its environmentally better that the NYT, SFC and others are in the crapper. Or it could be that they are media elitists that don’t know squat about middle America and their more conservative mainstream slant…or they just don’t care to be close to down the middle.

    @ 10:36 am on October 21, 2009

  9. Update: Sorry, my phone died. No sweet tweets. But did drink some wine.

    @ 12:05 pm on October 21, 2009

  10. After the three drinks you had at Al’s?

    @ 1:11 pm on October 21, 2009

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