What’s Your Take Seattleites?
How long before newspapers are totally obsolete. In another 10 years is there going to be any semblance of life as we’ve known it? Andy Rooney had a dissertation on this subject on 60 Minutes last evening.
updated 4:06 p.m. CT, Mon., March. 16, 2009
SEATTLE – The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which has chronicled the news of the city since logs slid down its steep streets to the harbor and miners caroused in its bars before heading north to Alaska’s gold fields, will print its final edition Tuesday.
Hearst Corp., which owns the 146-year-old P-I, said Monday that it failed to find a buyer for the newspaper, which it put up for a 60-day sale in January after years of losing money. Now the P-I will shift entirely to the Web.
March 17th, 2009 at 10:58 am
This morning I had a last cup of coffee with an old friend. Today was the last edition of the P.I. As newspapers disappear I wonder who will report the news. With no staff the Web counts on newspapers for reporting. I wonder who will read the news, Only people with computers?
March 17th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Who will report the news? How about our government?
I am sure a large percentage of this generation have never opened a newspaper. Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I saw my own children (now grown) open a newspaper. Maybe we’re partly to blame for letting this happen.
March 17th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
There’s always TV. Todays lead “Axe Murder” Film at 11:00. I’m not kidding.
March 18th, 2009 at 12:56 am
I guess I am not sure why changing to an internet format requires them to essentially eliminating investigative reporting. Seems like two separate issues. I think they are using the switch-over as an excuse to not be a real paper.
March 18th, 2009 at 11:59 am
It’s just that the Internet news does not hire a staff for investigative reporting not that it can’t. The Internet gets its news from newspaper reporting…with a few limited exceptions. Why bother when someone else is doing the work for you, the old bottom line. Maybe they will have to hire reporters as newspapers fail.
I think the switch-over is because papers are losing money. Newspapers aren’t immune to the bottom line either. Some time ago as a cost saving measure foreign corespondents were eliminated from newspaper staffs, the beginning of the slippery slope. I view it as the dumbing down of America for profits. The danger is a dumb populace is easy to manipulate.
The PI retained some of its staff to continue as a on line newspaper in a much reduced form. I understand this is some kind of first. I guess we will watch as this all evolves. I know I will miss my morning coffee while I read a good newspaper in depth .
March 18th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
I, for one, will never get used to a digital only format. One of my magazine subscription cut from weekly to bi-weekly + daily internet updates. Another subscription cut from 12 issues a year to 7.
I enjoy reading in bed before going to sleep. Magazines are a whole lot easier for that than a laptop.
I guess it gets down to whatever you grow up with. If you never had something, you don’t miss it. In today’s society, the senior citizens are not relevant to America, just a necessary evil (until they figure out a way to automatically expire at a certain age). Hey, don’t laugh. Remember all the things we’ve read about & seen in movies over the years, that we thought were pipe dreams?
March 21st, 2009 at 11:53 am
Anon, you might soon be able to get the PI on this:
According to this article, Electronic newspaper reader has look of the real thing, Hearst is interested in such things. (See quote below.) Perhaps they will continue to invest in reporting.
March 21st, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Walter has one he uses to read books. Around $300 I think. Doesnt smell like newsprint but that could be added.
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:54 am
jek, I’m tired of buying new electronic gadgets every time I turn around, just to be able to enjoy something I’ve enjoyed my whole life. Senior citizens, on a fixed income, will just have to do without, I suppose.
Also, when eating breakfast, if I spill that steaming hot cup of java on a newspaper, I’m not out a big repair or replacement bill.