The decline of newspapers
In the last 20 years, the newspaper industry has faced a sharp decline due to the rise of the internet.
In 2003, almost 30 million newspapers were sold in the UK every day. By 2017 that was down to 12.4 million (source: Ofcom).
Newspapers have traditionally made their money in two ways: through the cover price and by selling advertising. With so much news available for free online, audiences are not buying newspapers so both these sources of income have been decimated.
The Wall Street Journal produced a short video demonstrating how the industry has changed in the last 100 years:
1) Why has Google led to the decline of the newspaper industry?
Google provides people with information very quickly they don't have to wait for it unlike newspapers which which we have to wait for, for them to be printed with new stories every day. As the technology is developing and more people are aware of it the stories are available instantly which leaves the newspapers in a rough position as they will find it hard to publish "Breaking News"
2) Find a statistic from the article that illustrates the decline of traditional news media.
In 2003, almost 30 million newspapers were sold in the UK every day. By 2017 that was down to 12.4 million (source: Ofcom).
3) Looking at the graph featured in the article, what period has seen the steepest decline in newspaper advertising revenue?
1945/49 and 2000's is when newspapers have seen the steepest decline in newspaper advertising revenue.
4) Do you personally think Google is to blame for newspapers closing and journalists losing their jobs? Why?
I believe that as technology developed a of things changed and people developed new habits for example more people use google maps then a simple sheet of map, more people like to read the news on the go on their phones rather that reading a newspaper. the development of phones also change the way people use thing like using a calculator on their phone rather than carrying one around. Therefore I believe that newspapers closing and journalists losing their jobs is due to the changes in technology and people developing new habits.
5) Read the comments below the article. Pick one comment you agree with and one you disagree with and explain your response to the comments in detail.
The irony is that Google is probably more of a savior than a killer of journalism and editorial content. How many thousands of blogs, fan sites, writers, startup outlets, etc., have been discovered by Google’s search algorithms? How many talented artists and great stories have found a launching pad on YouTube and other Google outlets? How much content has been spread into new languages due to Google translate?
I agree with this comment because it's important to also acknowledge the fact that Google has also been the reason why countless other media platforms have gained fans and recognition.
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