Print journalism is the least accurate way to absorb breaking information and in a world where technology is in almost everyone’s pockets, print journalism is becoming less and less necessary.
Journalism is one of the most noble professions in the world, making sure crucial information reaches the people who need it most. Several years ago newspapers were the most accurate way to read up on timely information, but times have changed and print should be extinguished when it comes to breaking news stories.
Breaking news stories can sometimes be natural disasters or important political updates that affect the lives of hundreds or even thousands of people. This, of course, means it is essential for the journalist to post what information they know on their publication’s website and continuously update it.
Breaking news reporter Hannah Fry, of the Los Angeles Times, explained how quickly publications share information. “The clock is ticking even before you find out about a story, so you want something up quickly. It can [even] be two sentences,” Fry said.
Updating a story over time is crucial for getting a complete story to the reader while also providing what information is known to the reader as soon as possible.
This causes information to change and is occasionally incomplete upon its initial release but over time the development of the story matures and it becomes factually sound. Unfortunately for print, you cannot exactly update that information if something else comes to light.
Breaking news shouldn’t ever be a focus for publications that do print, rather than wasting time getting it into a newspaper, journalists should focus on getting the facts online as soon as possible. Stories of that nature that are featured on print could mislead readers and even not include crucial information that was just developed.
According to a 2022 study by the Pew Research Center, only about 11% of U.S. adults regularly get their news from print, rather than the 36% who do so online. With this information, why should publications allow print to take up time and resources that could be allocated to getting more accurate information?
There is no benefit to picking up a newspaper rather than using a basic search engine to visit the Los Angeles Times and see what is going on. An American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2021, about 92% of households in the U.S. have access to at least one device that can browse the internet. With public libraries allowing people to use public computers, very few people are left without the ability to access online news.
“Breaking news lives online and a lot of what we do is online, so that’s the future and we got to roll with it,” Fry said.
Some may argue that older readers still rely on physical newspapers and some enjoy the novelty of having a physical piece of information. However, this line of thinking ignores the fact that natural disasters and other tragedies are crucial information that needs to be given to the readers as soon as possible. By allowing print to take up resources that can be better allocated to getting information out there newspapers are risking losing readership if information might become misleading. Of course it would not be intentional, but there are risks of that happening.
Why are publications wasting time, effort and resources in newspapers when the public so desperately needs rapid and accurate information? Journalism is about getting the most important information out to the public as fast as possible and making sure readers are informed, especially with breaking news.
If journalists truly value speed and accuracy, then why are we wasting papers and leaving communities relying on an outdated form of news when digital technology can keep everyone informed at the click of a button?
