With the emergence of online newspapers, it has made me think about the differences between online and traditional, offline newspapers and by extension, offline and online journalism. Personally, I very much prefer the broadsheet version as it has always been the traditional form of publication and it is something that I am used to everyday.
Technology advances has made it possible for newspapers to go online now and I feel that it somewhat changes the experience of reading a newspaper. The laying out of the pages on the table and physical flipping of the pages of the newspaper is something that accompanies me on my daily breakfast munching. If traditional newspapers were to disappear one day, I can imagine life to be a little different without it.
What would online journalism do to traditional publishing houses? Will they be able to retain their jobs in the future? Will offline newspapers no longer be able to sustain themselves in the future because of online newspapers? In the future, perhaps 10, 20 or 30 years from now, online journalism could take over offline journalism, considering the rapid advances of the Internet and technology. I can even count myself as a journalist, a citizen journalist, now as I write weekly in my blog to provide information for people to read. Will journalists then be obsolete in the future with the advent of citizen journalism? Will the quality of online and offline content differ? These are just some of my many concerns of online journalism.
One major advantage of online journalism, such as online newspapers, is that it brings convenience, 24/7 accessibly and less intruding on-the-go readership (imagine the packed morning trains with people taking up more space with them reading the newspapers) for people.
The Internet has also provided those who lacked the capital and perhaps the chance to be a journalist to actually have a shot at sharing their views to the public. There are many people who became famous for their online blogs actually, such as Xia Xua and Dawn Yang, examples more close to our hearts here in Singapore.
Also, with upcoming web advancements such as the Web 3.0, online journalism could spell better interactively, informational access and other benefits that traditional print journalism could not bring. Online journalism could possibly better meet the intellectual and social demands of people in the future!
In addition, another upside of online newspapers is that it is eco-friendly as it does not require the use of papers to disseminate information. Given the state of environmental decline we are experiencing as a whole, it could be a good idea to cut back on cutting those trees.
As much as I would not want to see the demise of the traditional print broadsheet, the benefits of online journalism seem to be catching up and might be more relevant and attrative in the future. Perhaps after decades down the road, I could be sitting at the table, reading the news with my laptop in the mornings, muching away on my breakfast, instead of flipping through the pages of a newspaper!
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