Visual Communication: Type

The future of newspaper

Introduction

Newspapers are not better than iPad except for one, killing flies. This is a video from YouTube showing how powerful iPad is. Recently with the sharp development of e-readers, the prediction that newspapers will fail in the competition and demise in the near future is rising again. Will newspapers survive or be extinct? In this report, I will share two papers discussing the future of newspapers and put aside my own point of view.

In <Traditional Media in the Digital Media>, Douglas and John analyze the situation in two correlated markets in mass media, consumers and advertisers, to explore newspaper future. They argue the main reason of decline in circulation is that new generations do not consider newspaper readership as their first choice. A Magid study is cited and reveals the relationship between above-line-media and below-the-line media is correlated, indicating the synergy of these two media could play a vital role in shaping consumers’ habits. They assert that the fact 12.2 percent Americans swift to online media does not present massive shift to online media.  They also predict the future by looking at reading habit of current long-term Internet users, which implies consumption habits of new generation are not so significant to traditional media. When referring to advertisement market, they insist newspaper still earn more money than online media despite growth rate will slow down. [1] All in all, they hold a positive attitude towards the future of newspaper.

<Shifts in Newspaper Advertising: expenditures and their implication for the future for newspapers> provides another perspective, in which newspapers are totally treated as a commercial product. The author goes back to the history of newspaper advertising from 1950 to 2005 in US, and predicts that the tendency of newspaper advertising is neither as awful as some observers said, nor as positive enough as to overlook. Newspaper will step to the decline stage of its life cycle in 21 century, suggesting that the advertising revenue will plateau and decrease in the future. [2] But as media products also differ from other ones, the life cycle of newspaper has been much longer than other industries. 

Conclusion

As for me, when talking about the future of newspaper, some issues should be identified in advance. First, what is newspaper? Is online newspaper or Newsday on iPad still a newspaper? Second, how long is this future, in 50 years or 5000 years? Here in this report, what we are discussing is traditional print newspaper which utilizes paper as its carrier, is publicized as scheduled and delivered by distribution personnel. Those media presented on screen distinguish themselves from print newspapers. In my opinion, in the near future newspaper will still play an important role in social life; however, it is really facing a risk of extinction considering its distant future. 

It is too early to say newspaper will demise in 5 or even 50 years. Newspaper has a long history and favorable news traditional, which provide newspapers more experience and ability to survive in recent shift. To be more specific, on the one hand, newspapers are more concentrating on content and becoming more transparent, responsive and efficient. On the other hand, they are introducing the unique selling proposition and new techniques which appeal to both readers and advertisers. [3] Research also shows current situation of newspaper is not as bad as someone predicted. Despite decline in circulation and advertising sale, newspaper is of significance player in local news. In addition, newspaper and Internet use are positively correlated, which means newspaper use increases as one’s Internet use goes up. [4] Moreover, development of newspaper is different from all over the world, which means newspaper has more space to grow in developing countries.

Nevertheless, print newspaper has been losing its territory and, I would say, it will probably disappear as a traditional print media in the long term. Newspaper inherently is a source-consuming industry, thus I consider it is not as sustainable as electric media in the remote future. Someone may insist paper provides more comfortable reading experience, but the fact is increasing new generations are more expecting to grab information online. Thus what will happen when new generations are grown up in a digital society? It would be more likely for them to choose electrical media rather than print media as their main source of collecting news. I am not saying paper or paper reading will die; what I believe is the function of newspaper as a timely publicized media will demise. Neither its readership nor advertisement revenue could save its life. The statement from chairman of New York Times that it will stop print newspaper sometime in the future [5] becomes a signal, which it is more and more difficult for newspaper to maintain its fee-based print edition. More seriously, the concept of ubiquitous computing introduced by Mark Weiser is turning into realistic, whose main idea is “specialized elements of hardware and software, connected by wires, radio waves and infrared, will be so ubiquitous that no one will notice their presence.” [6] Wireless connection is helping computer technology achieve this goal. The media shift happening nowadays is proved to be an essential one, which would combine all the media in one platform, screen. So where is the outlet of print newspaper? I could not find it.

Reference

[1] Traditional Media in the Digital Media: Data about news habits and advertiser spending lead to a reassessment of media's prospects and possibilities, Douglas Ahlers and John Hessen, Nieman Reports, September 1, 2005.

[2] Shifts in Newspapers Advertising Expenditure and Their Implications for the Future of Newspapers, Robert G. Picard, Journalism Studies, Volume 9, Issue 5 October 2008.

[3] Newspapers Go For Advertising! Challenges and opportunities in a changing media environment, Katrien Berte and Els De Bens, Journalism Studies, Volume 9, Issue 5, 2008.

 [4] Internet Impact on Traditional Media Use for News: 2002 and 2004, Journalism Studies Division, ICA, May 2007.

[5] Sulzberger Concedes: 'We Will Stop Printing the New York Times Sometime in the Future', Henry Blodget, CEO of Business Insider, Huffingtonpost, September 9, 2010.

[6] The Computer for the 21st Century, Mark Weiser, Scientific American 265, No. 3, September 1991.

Why I chose this course?

We were been asked several times about why we chose this course. For me there are two main reasons.
First, as the name of course said, it is applying. The modules it contains are practical. I worked as an editor for a website before, and I'm planning to stay in this industry in the future, so it is important to know more about digital media. This course give me an opportunity.
Second, the course is an awesome combination of designing and programming. I'm more interested in design, but from my point of view, the I know about program, the better I will do in design.
Research Method provides us methods, gudelines, principles and other fundemental aspects in learning. It helps us find how to choose a topic, how to collect information, how to analise information, how to deal with problem, how to write documentary, how to properly quote reference. After we finish this module, we will know how to identify our interesting and choose a proper topic for final project, as well as plan and carry out until finish it.

My exprience of using web browser

Currently I use Firefox as my default web browser and still keep Maxthon for specific use on my laptop.

Maxthon was the first web browser I used when tab concept was introduced and it shaped all my use habits. For example, open a new tab operating in background instead of opening a new window or jumping to a new tab, using "undo" button to go back to the former closed tab.But apprently stability of this browser is not developed along with its appreance. It often crashes without responding when several tabs are operating at the same time. That's why I decided to change web browser after I have used Maxthon for over 5 years.

Then Firefox and Chrome are taken into consideration. Undoubtedly, speed of Chrome is more satisfying, but there is a problem. Because of my laptop moniter screen, the default zoom proportion has to be 170% to achieve normal display, and I found it was impossible for me to set default zoom proportion in Chrome. Additionally, favirate of Chrome is placed below address bar and I'm not used to it.

Firefox becomes the only choice. Interestingly I deleted it from my laptop for several times before I decided to use it. Why? Because at the first beggining I didn't notice its most powerful advantage, plug-in. With plug-in, I could achieve more functions such as speed dial, block flash or ads, even define my own habits of browsing tab. Sidebar is another powerful design which allows users to shift among different sections. Stability should be praised as well, despite sometime the whole Firefox becomes very slow because of scriptes running on a specific tab. However, disadvantages exist at the same time. First, it takes more time to start Firefox than starting other ones. Second, some scripts running well on IE will have problems without specific plug-in, which means we have to establish all these plug-ins or use another browser with IE inside. For exmaple, when I try to download a file through Thunder, it is said the function is forbidden and I have to open the web link and download the file  with Maxthon. What's more, sometime plug-in themselves will lead to lagging problem. If this happens, I have to disable plug-in one by one to find which one causes this problem.

To my point of view, Firefox is not a browser for the begginners who is tend to utilise browser according to its default settings, however, it is really simple and powerful for those who are capable and eager to explore the inside of browser.

Book review

In Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age, professor Mayer-Schonberger worries perfect memory in digital age will cause lots of problems. Selective forgetfulness keeps humanity from downing in our own memories, helps us deal with recorded data efficiently.However, with digital age coming, which is driven by four factors: digitization, cheap storage, easy retrival and gobal reach, recorded data becomes impossible to be forgotten. Two examples are cited to show why the result is horrible, a Canadian who was denied entry to the US in 2006 because in his 2001 article he mention his use of LSD in 1965 and a teacher whose drunk photo was shared on SNS was unable to get her teaching certificate despite she fullfilled the professional learning for teaching.

Mayer-Schonberger also puts aside his suggest to solve this problem: expiry date for information. He argues the core of the proposal is not automatically deletion, but the prompting of expiry date will remind human most of the information is not timeless but loses its vales as time goes by. Expiry date has two commen features: it aims changing the default from remebering back to forgetting, and it keeps remind us of information's temporal nature.

In our Research Method class, 18 in 30 persons agreed unforgetfulness of digital society was really a problem, while the rest considered it as a tiny thing. For me, if all the data is recroded on web server and could not be deleted, it will be a nightmare. I can not imagine individual would be evaluated according to what they have done ten years ago. Everyone may make mistakes in our way of growning up, but internet will record all our trivial deficiency even our brain has forgiven us by forgetting them. If a choice of forgetting or remembering is given before publishing, that maybe comfort me, but it is still not a perfect solution. As we all know, the information on internet is open and easy to reach. Yes, it could be deleted when the date arrives, but what will happen if the information has been spread out before expiry date arrives. It makes no sense to introduce expiry date to some extent. What's more, who can define expiry date? The publisher of the information? Or anyone who is concerned with the information? If the two subjects conflict what should be done? So it may be a good idea to add expiration date, but is it practical? I really doubt it.

Nevertheless, I myself insist perfect memory violates displine of nature and we should keep close eye on this issue. I really don't want someone comes to me and says "I know what you did last summer" in the future.

The poster of Artificial Intelligence, an attractive image

"His love is real, but he is not." The subject of the film is well presented by this poster. At first sight we could see the word "AI" composed of two images of a little boy, which indicates this boy is not a real person but a robot. Also the charecters A and I are given a texture of metal, emphasising the former impression. What's more, the image of the boy is duplicated, and this is also the charecter of robot but not a human being.

However, the image of the little boy itself gives us a totally different feeling. When I first saw this boy, I felt he is listening to someone whom he loves,  and he is hoping for something. This a gusture of LOVE. If I say the word "AI" and the expression of the word provide external side of the boy, the image expresses the inner side that is something emotional.

Words work for images. "David is 11 years old. He weighes 60 pounds. He is 4 feet, 6 inches tall. He has brown hair." This is a description of a boy. But then it is said "He is not real", although his love is. This contrast clarifies the whole subject of the film. I believe there is a sentence hidden behind the subject. His love is real, but he is not. Would we love him? Words convey additional meanings.

Two interesting things should be mentioned in this poster. Comparing with actor's name, the name of director is arranged at a relative obvious postion. I suppose most of us would go to cinema if we see this name, Steven Spielberg. Another one is the word "AI" means "love" in Chinese. This is a coincidence, and I really love it.