Do you read the newspaper?
What about a day old newspaper? Two days old?
Or do you check the Internet for the latest news?
Where does the value come from in news media? Is it the lessons we can learn from reading the stories? Entertainment value? Neither of these is dependent on how out of date the news we’re reading is. Yet somehow it’s only entertaining if it’s recent, preferably brand new.
I get why some news has to be breaking stories. Information is crucial to making good business decisions. Deciding whether to head out sailing for the day needs the latest assessment of weather conditions. For Joe Schmoe reading the MX on his way home from work though, what’s the point? It could all be completely fictional for what he cares, right?
Somehow there is a point though. Nobody bothers to read a day-old newspaper lying on a train seat. The stories just aren’t that interesting. Either people are subconsciously preparing themselves for inane discussion about current affairs with acquaintances, or there is some inherent value in news being fresh. But if freshness is its only appeal, is it really worth reading? If you’re not going to read today’s news tomorrow, why bother reading (or watching) it today?
Of course all this discounts the appeal of a two year old Woman’s Day sitting in a dentist’s waiting room, or the entertainment factor of reading interesting articles at any time.
Planet: Random 
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March 22, 2009 at 11:56 am
Jackie
if people dont read a day old newspaper then why is it that the state library keeps archives of newspapers dated before our generation? Newspapers and print are the footprints of the past.
As people receive their news via the net, radio/ tv there is still a credibility and value placed on a media medium that they trust..newspapers and print that has been running for over 100 years!
As a media consultant i have observed that during these trying economic conditions advertisers are turning to the medium they trust…the Newspaper! As the response for their advertising remain positively consistent i can confidently say that there are people who read the paper whether its a day or two old.
Stating that ‘nobody’ reads a day old paper is a general observation, not an accurate one!
March 23, 2009 at 6:32 pm
planetrandom
That’s a good (if pedantic) point.
Archived newspapers are indeed excellent reflections of the society that they were sold into, and therefore important in a historical sense. The other day I noticed in a local paper they have a section devoted to what was being reported 20 years ago. Interesting as a curiosity, and important to historians. However, to the general person on the street, a two day old newspaper is pretty much only good for wrapping fish and chips with.
It must be an challenging time to be working in the newspaper industry, given the rapid rise of the Internet. I am yet to be convinced that in the long run printed news is a viable business model, and current financial performance supports that view. I’ll be watching this year’s profit announcements with interest, to see if your point about advertisers turning back to “the medium they trust” actually carries through in the numbers.