With the advent of the television broadcast, and an infinite infusion of information on the Internet, there are some that would have you believe that the newspaper is an obsolete medium.
Well just ask the Globe and Mail, which in light of the Vancouver Olympics, is publishing Sunday editions for the first time EVER.
Down in New Orleans, the Times-Picayune couldn’t keep single copies on the news stands on Feb. 8 after the Saints Super Bowl victory. The front page, with a five-inch headline ‘AMEN’ was the 173-year-old publication’s best-selling edition EVER.
Here at home, the Canadian Tourism Commission reaped the benefits of the magic of print advertising, with their “Locals Know” ad campaign. The goal was to keep Canadians within the borders during the travel season. It worked. The ads, which featured exotic looking snapshots and a caption “Where Is This?”, all lead the readers to their website where they could book their vacation.
More than 1.3 million Canadian travelers booked backyard vacations in 2009, and 15 per cent of those homeboys actually changed plans to travel abroad, according to a Canadian Newspapers Association case study. Definitely the most successful print ad campaign for the CTC EVER.
Here in Wingham, our circulation is strong - mind you, the area doesn’t have thousands of reporters constantly updating websites and filling midday broadcasts, especially since local television is suffering – but that just reaffirms the point that print is still a valid, important source of local information. More important than EVER.
Sometimes I get asked why on earth would I get into such a doomed industry. Well, in the last two years, jobs lost in the media sector pale in comparison to those lost in the manufacturing sector, so I return the question. But both industries are not doomed. They’re in a state of flux, and both are showing signs of being back on an upswing (Toyota excluded).
Many of us couldn’t even think a world without newspapers. Imagine settling back into your favourite wingback, kicking up your feet, and scrolling through the headlines on your iPhone. Or stretching out belly-down on the carpet and reading the funnies on. a. laptop...?
Nah. Too cold. Too removed. And I think anyone reading this would agree.