Newspapers: The death of print media blog tasks



Complete the blog tasks below linked to the useful Media Factsheet 165: The death of print media.
The death of print media: Factsheet blog tasks
 Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet 165: The death of print media. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets
 Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:


1) What has happened to print media in the last 30 years?

Until last 30 years, print media was one of the main sources of information for audiences. The desire for information is not a new one. Since the first newspapers in 1660s, and the relaxing of British censorship laws in 1695, printed newspapers have been a primary source of this information.

2) Why is the Independent newspaper such a good case study for the decline in print media?

This is because it has recently 'died', and also it was established in 1986, long after the decline in print media had begun.

3) What was the Independent newspaper famous for?

The newspaper’s selling line was, until 2011, “free from political bias, free from proprietorial influence”, and the reporting somewhat reflected this; in the last decade of its publication the Independent became known for its unorthodox and campaigning front pages

4) What did the then-owner of the Independent, Evgeny Lebedev, say about the newspaper's digital-only future?

“The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers. They’re showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.”

5) How do online newspapers make money?

Advertising revenues (currently growing 45% year by year)

6) What did the Independent's longest-serving editor Simon Kelner warn regarding the switch to digital?

“For me, the power of the Independent came from the variety of voices, the originality in its design and the iconoclastic feel of the paper. It is very difficult to replicate that in digital form. And it is even more difficult to do that with a paper like the Independent.”

7) What is the concern with fake news? What does 'post-truth' refer to?

The concern over the impact of the Internet news reporting is not new, but 2016’s US presidential election brought the issue into sharp focus. The terms ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ are now familiar in the contemporary vernacular.

8) What is your view on the decline in print media? Should news be free? Is it a concern that established media brands such as the Independent can no longer afford to exist as a printed newspaper?

I believe that with the digital disruption age, the decline of print media was always going to be inevitable. I believe that news broadcasted and shared by public broadcasters such as the BBC should be free because they are trustworthy enough to produce unbiased content. However, with private news companies, getting rid of a cover price will ultimately result in them simply writing articles that is more of what their target audience wants to hear rather than the unbiased truth.

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