Print Media Disintegrates

Sarah Ramming, managing editor

Newspapers, Magazines, Letters. Written media used to cover counters and your grandparents kitchen table. Yet as the internet and digital age continues to develop, many of these common print medias have slowly faded out.   

News outlets have changed and expanded to increase online presence as the internet platforms grow. While they expand in one area, the physical media regressed, causing printed newspapers to stop production and shift over completely to an online format. This includes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which switched to an online presence on January 1. The ending of a historic 157 years of news distribution comes with four months of warning, prompting many loyal readers to reminisce about the many good memories associated with the newspaper.  

Journalism began as printed newspapers and spread information to a wider base than ever before. With the development of radio and television, journalism changed to accommodate the new medium. Yet now people get their news from a variety of sources, such as scrolling news apps, reading the paper in the morning or watching the evening news at night. However, as virtual news outlets become more of a force – with quicker updates and easier access – the old-fashioned print media is slowly dying.  

“For the most part, daily newspaper circulation nationwide – counting digital subscriptions and print circulation – continues to decline, falling to just under 21 million in 2022,” according to a study by Pew Research in 2023. Far more people are engaging in digital media instead of physical, leaving classical news behind.  

(Insert quote here linking to the impact on people) - Amelia Seller probably 

Smaller, local newspapers have felt the greatest impact of the switch online. With the condensing of printed media to the largest news brands like New York Times (which grew 32 percent in digital-only subscriptions in 2022) or The Wall Street Journal, these small papers are losing ad revenue, leaving them unable to keep a staff or put the effort into printed issues. Switching to an online-only format gives smaller journalists better visibility, cheaper costs, and a variety of ways to present the news. While newspapers are only one format, going digital gives journalists the ability to use multimedia or interactive media to show the news. However, the decrease in revenue has led to some questions about the quality of the new online-only news, as the more reputable sources are blocked behind pay walls, and more citizens rely on free, possibly sketchy sources for their information. 

Even so, the force of the internet is much too strong. If smaller newspapers don’t go willingly, they face extinction at the hands of both limited consumers and ad revenue. Most chose the way of survival, leading to the switch to digital journalism and reporting reputably on community-centered news.  

The environmental aspect of print media has also been considered by many, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  

“Moving away from print allows the newsroom to focus entirely on journalism while also reducing environmental impact by eliminating printing presses, delivery trucks and paper waste,” said leadership at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While print newspapers take paper to make, and fossil fuels to distribute, lessening the carbon footprint by going online is a viable option. Though the total impact on climate change by news organizations may be less than many others, it should still be taken into consideration when discussing a switch to online platforms.  

There are many hopes resting on the online future of journalism. For smaller newspapers, the switch could spell death while for others, it may greatly increase the audience. Even for us, as a school newspaper, this has an impact. The Chariot does have a website, with articles that will be more current than the ones we write here. Yet we can still publish print issues because of the sponsorship of the ever-amazing front office.