On February 17, Mark Potts met with our class. Mark runs Recovering Journalist, a blog where he gives his thoughts on the state of news today, among other things. In this class, he mentioned something I have heard my professors say in the past; print is a dying medium.

Online journalism has become far more convenient than print journalism. One need not plunk down a few quarters to learn what's happening in the world; all they need to do is boot up their PC, and it an easily be found on Yahoo or Google. Now they can read any story they want, one hundred percent free. These web stories can also link to other, similar stories, further keeping the reader's interest.

Another good thing about online journalism is that the news can be tailored to the web user's interest. Each printed paper has the same exact stories, whether the reader wants them or not. If a newspaper isnt following a story someone wants to know more about, that person would not be happy they took the time to buy that paper. By going online, they can easily search and find information on what theyre following. They can even sign up to RSS feeds that specifically deal with their interest, including some stories the print papers may not have. This makes staying up to date on your favorite subject very easy.

Mark explained that a lot of the things newspapers were known for were losing out to internet counterparts. Not only is the news easier to access, but classified ads are becoming a thing of the past. The newspapers' classified ads were formerly the best way to sell an unneeded item, but now Craigslist and eBay have taken that spot.

The newspapers have fallen behind because they rested on their laurels, rather than try to improve their products. They claimed to win because people were still buying them, then continued doing the same things. But since that time, online journalism has either caught up to or exceeded them. If there are people who want to keep print journalism alive, they are going to have to take drastic measures to improve their product.