I've come across a lot of grumpy journalists lately. But who can blame them? It's mainly due to the fact that they don't have as much time to do their jobs. They are being asked to wear more hats, take on more beats, and generally do more with less.
Newsrooms as we know them are shrinking.
We have been in the midst of a major shift to new media and traditional print media is feeling the pinch. The Rocky Mountain News realized its demise recently. And they were just a little shy of celebrating 150 years. Wow.
And they're not the only ones feeling the pinch. The Chicago Tribune and the LA Times have declared bankruptcy. The Real Clear Politics website did an article entitled "The Top Ten Newspapers in Trouble." A lot of familiar names on the list: New York Daily News, Detroit News, and the San Francisco Chronicle are among them. Astounding.
I know a lot of people who have made a shift to reading their news online. I'm not one of them. I so enjoy reading the newspaper every day with a cup of tea or coffee. I can't imagine giving that up. But, I do of course, get a lot of information online - it's convenient, quick, and there's nothing hanging around that you need to worry about putting in the recycle bin.
So, while Twitter, Facebook, Flickr , You Tube and the like all become an important part of our marketing and PR strategies, I personally hope that newsprint media remains. I also have a renewed sense of patience next time I feel frustrated by a journalist.
