Every day, it seems that another newspaper somewhere in this country declares bankruptcy, or closes its door after hundreds of years of service.
From the outside looking in, print journalism appears to be slowly dying. In reality, it's only receiving a major facelift.
Mark Twain said it best to the New York Journal in 1897. Amid rumors that Twain had passed away, he simply stated, "The report of my death is an exaggeration."
How ironic that Twain - a former editor of the Buffalo Express - stated those famous words, considering they hit the nail on the head when it comes to the life of print journalism today.
Don't get me wrong. Print journalism is much different than it was 200 years ago. As deficits increase and advertising revenue drops due to the slumping economy, newspapers are struggling to survive.
But that doesn't mean that newspapers are on their last breath.
While some big name newspapers like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and the Rocky Mountain News have folded or shifted to a Web-only interface, other newspapers are doing just fine.
A May 23, 2008 article by USA Today explains that the paper's circulation has shown gains every year in its 25-year history. The Wall Street Journal has shown increases as well, and, thanks to a decrease in expenses, the journal shouldn't have any huge problems in the near future.
For smaller papers, there is also a light at the end of the tunnel. For the Buffalo News, profits are alive and well and debt is nonexistent. In addition, because Buffalo is a single-paper city, the News has been able to penetrate the market, getting as many subscriptions as possible.
But the most important factor in the newspaper's survival is something that, luckily, some newspapers have taken hold of - the Internet.
Margaret Sullivan, editor of the Buffalo News, has taken grasp of the power of the World Wide Web and has proved the spoils that it can bring.
The Buffalo News's Web site has implemented video reporting, blogs, and a place for anyone from Western New York - or even the world - to come together to learn about news surrounding Western New York and discuss it in an open forum.
The Internet isn't something newspapers should be afraid of. It has proven to be the ultimate power when it comes to the spreading of ideas, and it will hold that title until the next break of technology comes along.
Once newspapers take hold of the Internet and evolve because of it, they will be better off than they were 100 years or even 100 days ago. They will have the ability to reach people on the opposite side of the world rather than being limited to the opposite side of the city limits.
And that will keep the printed product in your hands.
Without a powerful Web presence, newspapers will have an abrupt and painful death. Some have already fallen, and others are on that path.
If editors like Sullivan can hit the brakes and turn right instead of left, you'll be sitting at your table reading the newspaper over breakfast for a long, long time.
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
