Print media out the door? Welcome to 2007.

[Samr]

This is the thread that started this discussion:

link here

And specifically, my first post on the subject:

I don't think he suffered brain damage; I think he or his editors figured out that appealing to the lowest common denominator is what generates readership and brings in the ad revenue.

Which is EXACTLY why the standard print/newspaper is going to slowly be overrun by the collective sports blogosphere.

These guys - the sports journalists in newspapers - are having to direct their articles to a common denominator in readership because that collective populace is what newspaper depends upon for their sales. On the internet, and by expansion the act of publishing on the internet, is able to target a smaller but more specific demographic and then cater to them. This demographic, of course, being more loyal because they were the ones who chose the opinions they read, instead of reading the columns available to them. The internet allows people to exercise free will due to the incredible availability of content.

Also, Cry Havoc posted this video

And Johnny Blaze posted this!




OR, if you don't like that direction, here is another way you can go:

The internet allows basically anyone to self-publish, for free, with no editing in the quality, quan y, or topic of their subject. This means that A LOT of bad stuff gets thrown out there, to be mixed and sometimes grouped with the genuinely good content. This means a diluting of the good content, in contrast to what you would find in the other media (print, television, radio). How does this change the future for the internet as the New Media. Or does it?

(Save a discussion of using the internet in academic research (e.g. Wikipedia vs. Lexus Nexus et al) for a later time. Maybe once this thread gets going, maybe, but that time is certainly not now.)

[Kevin Blackistone]

Print media is dumbing itself down to make itself serviceable to the dumbing down and dropping attention spans of people in our society. Simple enough.

[Samr]

Print media is dumbing itself down to make itself serviceable to the dumbing down and dropping attention spans of people in our society. Simple enough.

I don't think attention spans are shortening (see: overdiagnosis of ADD), I just think the "smart" (opposite of your "dumb") people are going elsewhere. That place, I believe, tends to be online publications.

But I could be wrong.

If I am right, though, then don't you think that the two types of media are essentially switching places? If it is how you contend, then print media is directing itself toward a less-intelligent population, which economically is less-likely to afford luxuries such as subscriptions etc ("dumb" people are less-inclined to get high-paying jobs). The way you suggest, print media is essentially going to remove its revenue in readership because it is targeting a "dumb" audience which does not, economically-speaking, have very deep pockets.

[expander]

C San Antonio Magazine:

I don't wanna rant but we offer the best of both worlds with a first focus being our magazine. Now, we also offer our advertisers an added bonus for advertising with us, you view the magazine at www.csanantonio.com turn the pages, click on the ads to go directly to the companies website to create more online business.