The Decline of the Newspaper

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In 1760, The Boston News-Letter was the first newspaper to be continuously published in the United States. A 250-year legacy of printed news could not have lasted if it newspapers didn't not have it uses. Aside from the entertainment value, newspapers exist for the main purpose of bringing news of international, national, and local news to the doorsteps of the people. Without such frequent and stable form of communication, it would be difficult for any nation to call itself a free democracy. Today however, it cannot be expected that newsprint will last forever. Statistical data firmly suggests newspapers around the world are falling both in number and circulation. The past several years have been difficult for newspapers as other news sources have appeared, namely televisions and internet. Many people now fear that the decline of what has, for so long, been the primary source of journalism will have major detrimental effects on the health of the nation as a democracy. I argue that while newspapers have their virtues in serving a democracy, television and the internet are already evolving to fill in as credible news sources.

A true democracy requires informed voters to make judgments over how the country should be run. To be informed we need access to news beyond the reach of our immediate networks of friends, family and neighbors. Newspapers have been the only medium of such a news source for centuries, so long in fact that people have become insecure at the thought of losing it. To some this is perceived as a problem, a perfectly legitimate position. If we were to lose such a major source of information, the space left behind would cripple our ability to inform people. If the people were not informed about national issues, there...

... middle of paper ...

...living, style, the green movement, and world news, comedy on top of the usual news, blogs and other original content.

While newspapers are in decline, the nation's health is going to be just fine. There may be some turbulence from the transition, but in the long run the people will get their news.

Works Cited

"About the Blogger |." Newspaper Death Watch. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. .

Ahrens, Frank. “The accelerating decline of newspapers." The Washington Post. 27 Oct. 2009. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

Arango, Tim. "Fall in Newspaper Sales Accelerates to Pass 7%." New York Times. 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 8 Feb. 2010.

"Democracy." Def. lb. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

"Who killed the newspaper?" The Economist. 24 Apr. 2006. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

"Internet History." www.computerhistory.org. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

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