The Impact of the Internet on Newspapers

At first I thought the internet would be bad for newspapers. Why would people buy a paper if they can get the news online? So I searched for local news stories. I didn't find much in my area except for the newspapers online site and tv news stations. The newspaper also provides local classifieds. I spend a lot of time on the internet doing school work so I get tired of it. I like reading a paper or book that I can hold, flip the pages, and mark my spot with a bookmark. Given the choice I would choose paper over the internet.

The internet can also impacting papers by providing more sources of information. The newspapers, at least in this area, are not really interested in the truth. They are interested in selling a story and swaying public opinion. I thought that the job of a newspaper was to give readers the facts. Instead it seems like they choose a side and try to make people agree with them. One example that comes to mind is a murder trial. A man was not convicted, only on trial for murder. You could definitely tell that the reporter covering the story thought the man was guilty. I guess she hasn't heard of "innocent until proven guilty". Based on some DNA evidence that came out during the trial the man was found to be not guilty. Lucky for him the reporter was not the one deciding the case. Though she was still able to cause a lot of pain for him and his family by convincing many of the people in the community that he was guilty. If people were able to chat about this online they may have been more likely to question what she was saying instead of just accepting it.

Another thing that newspapers do that I can't stand is the way they try to sway people toward a particular candidate. Many people depend on the news for information and it's just not reliable. Reporters should be reporting the facts, not their own opinions. Though I do respect their right to free speech. So if they want to express their own views they should put it on the opinion page.
Fortunately, I think the internet will help people discover the facts about a topic if they want to find them. Since more people have internet access and with sites like twitter and facebook people can quickly relay information to one another. Getting information from a number of sources and not just one biased reporter can only help newspapers. If the reporters know that readers can check their facts on the internet they'll be more likely to report the truth and everyone will be better off.

The internet also helps newspapers by allowing the newspaper to put the information online. This should reduce the costs for delivery and printing as well as reducing the amount of paper used which is good for the environment. If they charge people to view the paper online they could end up making more money than they were with a traditional newspaper. Since the cost for viewing the paper online should be cheaper than a printed paper more people could afford it making it great for everyone.