Image by fredcavazza via Flickr
Miles once defined the world — borders charted on maps, horizons dividing continents. There was silence between cities; and ink was the only way to fill the emptiness, ensuring that words were exchanged.
Such exchanges are offered now through virtuality, however. Social media shapes every country: with endless networks sharing stories with ease. The news is without limit — and the aftermath is the slow decline of papers.
Newspapers were once the only methods of communication. The arrival of the Internet, however, ushered in a loss of readership. Individuals flocked to their computers, replacing pages with screens, and it’s become a struggle for papers to survive — which is why they’ve learned not to challenge social media, but instead to use it.
Networking is a familiar process online: with users sending information across the web, posting links to content. Newspapers now utilize this — flooding the Internet with suggestions of their most compelling pieces. The intention is to tempt readers, forcing them to seek out print. This increases sales, as well as circulating articles.
Choosing to post on media sites (forums, blogs and similar venues) ensures that the necessary demographics are targeted. Readers are sought and found — with information meant to piqué their interests. Such a method helps to generate awareness of newspapers online, as well as securing their survival in the real world. And it’s common now to blur virtuality with brick and mortar traditions.
Newspapers must fight to reclaim their place among readers. It is possible, however, to accomplish this goal — as long as social media is embraced.
