Do you read newspapers?

Last week, the Economist had an intruiging cover story on something I’ve been looking into writing about for a while — the decline of newspapers. Actually, some news folks have a sense of dread about it. That particular story was called “Who killed the newspaper?” So, it’s a given that they’re in demise?

Well, they’re on their way according to most things I’ve seen and heard. But this analysis of the whole trend made some particularly interesting points about what newspapers DO.

At their best, newspapers hold governments and companies to account.

How long has it been since newspapers have been “at their best?” Do you think they still hold governments to account? Or are they more driven by an agenda of their own editorial board’s political leaning to cast a biased light on their news stories?

They usually set the news agenda for the rest of the media.

When you really think about it, that’s pretty surprising in this day of 24/7 cable news and instant, breaking news reports on radio and television. Newspapers have to wait until next print edition to catch up. Though, for some reason, the elite media still seem to follow where the New York Times leads…

And why are newspapers threatened? The internet, of course. Newspapers have the most to lose. The Economist article points out that more and more people are getting their news online. And advertisers are following them there, spending more money on internet advertising and way less dollars on newspaper ads, even classified.

Having ignored reality for years, newspapers are at last doing something. In order to cut costs, they are already spending less on journalism.

Well that’s not good news. Classic journalism is what it’s all about, or used to be.

Many are also trying to attract younger readers by shifting the mix of their stories towards entertainment, lifestyle and subjects that may seem more relevant to people’s daily lives than international affairs and politics are.

Now that’s another example of the ‘defining down of standards’ our culture has been suffering through for a long time.

it bodes ill for the public role of the Fourth Estate.

The public role of the ‘Fourth Estate,’ the Press, has already been re-defined by the above (entertainment, lifestyles, etc.), has it not?

Journalism schools and think-tanks, especially in America, are worried about the effect of a crumbling Fourth Estate. Are today’s news organisations “up to the task of sustaining the informed citizenry on which democracy depends?” asked a recent report about newspapers from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a charitable research foundation.

I’ve got a question for Carnegie. Do you believe that we have an informed citizenry today that is given intellectually honest coverage of this democracy? Do you think today’s news organizations encourage critical thinking skills on which democracy depends? Okay, that’s actually two questions.

It has survived as readers have shunned papers and papers have shunned what was in stuffier times thought of as serious news.

“What was in stuffier times thought of as serious news?!” Do you think serious news is stuffy? How did CNN spring up, and FoxNews overtake them, with other cable news outlets on their tails?

The usefulness of the press goes much wider than investigating abuses or even spreading general news; it lies in holding governments to account—trying them in the court of public opinion. The internet has expanded this court. Anyone looking for information has never been better equipped.

You bet. The media really are trying people and government bodies in the court of public opinion, and they are forming public opinion by the crafty use of the language and the art of spin. The internet has somewhat leveled that field, but only if readers learn how to navigate through THAT minefield.

In addition, a new force of “citizen” journalists and bloggers is itching to hold politicians to account. The web has opened the closed world of professional editors and reporters to anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection.

That can be both very bad and very good, depending on what you’re reading on the internet. There’s a lot of anger and hostility on a lot of blogs. But there are some really good, insightful and responsible ones in many specialty areas, and they’re doing a better job than a lot of the press.

Each blogger is capable of bias and slander, but, taken as a group, bloggers offer the searcher after truth boundless material to chew over.

Each mainstream media writer/editor/producer/reporter/analyst is also capable of bias and slander. The key to being an informed news consumer is being a ‘searcher after truth.’

I hope InForum gives you good material to chew over. It’s a daily pursuit here.