Newspapers: Past and Future

Imagine that you lived in a city in the year 1900 Imagine that you lived in a city in the year 1900. Each morning you took a trolley to work to go work in one of the office buildings in downtown Boston.

In many ways the world was the same back then. Everyone still ate dinner at the same time There were roads and street signs and traffic There were downtown buildings where offices were located There was baseball and football and other sports

But the way people got information was different But the way people got information was different. In your 1900 home, there would be no television.

There was no radio either and, of course, no Internet.

No Ipads, Iphones, Wifi or Cable. But there were newspapers.

Newspapers were the major source of information in those days Newspapers were the major source of information in those days. If something happened in the world, the newspaper told you.

If the Titanic sunk or there was a major earthquake in California or the first World Series was played, the only way to find out about it was to read a newspaper.

Newspapers were a major source of information --- and they were also a major source of entertainment.

If you came home and ate dinner, what would you do after dinner If you came home and ate dinner, what would you do after dinner? Well, there was no TV to turn on, no Internet to surf, and no radio to listen to.

So you either talked with friends and family or you read something---often a newspaper.

Beginning in the 1920s, things began to change for newspapers Beginning in the 1920s, things began to change for newspapers. Over time they became less central to how people lived.

First came the radio. People began to get their news over the radio and listen to talk shows, dramas, comedies and mysteries.

Then in the 1950s, things really changed. Television came along Then in the 1950s, things really changed! Television came along. Soon people were getting their news and entertainment on the “tube.”

Now when major events occurred, people saw in first on TV or heard it on the radio. For instance, in 1963, when President Kennedy was shot, people saw the news on TV or heard it on the radio first.

TV and radio had an advantage over newspapers TV and radio had an advantage over newspapers. They delivered the news instantaneously. The newspaper arrived the next day when you already had heard the news…

More recently, the Internet has allowed people to get news even faster.

You can have your news delivered to your smart phone You can have your news delivered to your smart phone. On Twitter people post news almost seconds after it happens.

People read newspaper less and less…

This had been bad for the newspaper business. Go back to 1900 This had been bad for the newspaper business. Go back to 1900. In those days, most big cities had many newspapers. New York had 9 or 10 daily papers, all competing against each other.

In these “Newspaper Wars,” papers did whatever they could to get readers. Some papers came in the morning, others in the evening.

These days most cities only have one newspaper These days most cities only have one newspaper. And even these newspapers are struggling to survive.

Recently, the founder of Amazon Recently, the founder of Amazon.com, a major shopping website, bought the Washington Post.

He said he will try to figure out ways to make newspapers more modern He said he will try to figure out ways to make newspapers more modern. Most newspapers now have websites where you can read the paper online.

But newspapers will have to find other ways to stay relevant in the modern world. However, even if newspapers die out, there will be something new to take their place.

After all, there is always news and there are always people who want to hear it.