While at a recent news event I was speaking to another local journalist who is also from Ontario. He and I discussed the opportunities the north had afforded us as well as some of the differences between the places we grew up and where we are living now. One thing that baffled us both was that print journalism is still, much to our benefit, alive and well in the north.
We both agreed our own preference is multimedia journalism. Twitter accounts, website updates, blog posts and videos is where, we were told at our schools, people prefer to get their information. A new journalist must not only be a good wordsmith, he or she must also multitask well and be well versed in technology – lest that new journalist be left behind.
While the paper this other journalist works for does have a website, we do not. However, he admitted with a hint of perplexity, that his paper’s website receives very few hits. People are still subscribing to the newspaper.
In a world where newspaper subscriptions have declined sharply in the last four or five years as digital media continues to climb to the top of popular culture, why is it that the newspapers in the north are prevailing? Furthermore, in a world where newspaper advertising is at 1985 levels, why are our northern newspapers successful?
The journalism world is full of people who have a dooms day attitude about newspapers. One of my university professors recently posted a link on his Facebook account that led me to a blog post about how a newspaper company can become a digital first company. As a media professional, it was an intriguing read.
The author writes, “Our traditional journalism models and our journalistic efforts are inefficient and up against the Crowd – armed with mobile devices and internet connections – incomplete. Our response to date as an industry has been as equally inefficient and in many cases emotional.”
What he means here is that many journalism professionals who are 35 or older, with more than seven or so years experience are often hesitant to move into the digital world. They claim newspaper readers will remain faithful, that they like the feel of paper between their fingers. The readers will not give up on the old technology.
But statistics prove otherwise. The number of people who are attached to the feel of paper are waning, while the number of people who want to read the news on tablets, smart phones and computers are growing by the minute. Take the Peace River School Division (PRSD) as an example. They have passed a policy that will allow students to use new technology in the classrooms as learning aids. These students are going to grow up used to reading things electronically, writing on a key pad instead of with paper and pencil.
So now, why are the newspapers in the north surviving – and for how much longer?
The only explanation I have is that things are slower in the north, and slower is not all bad. In small towns such as ours, young people have to be creative about entertainment. High speed Internet access is not available to everyone and being online for several hours a day is not practical. Even my friends who have smart phones don’t use them like my friends and colleagues in Toronto. Sure, they’re texting non-stop but they’re not searching for videos, using Twitter or receiving daily updates on news stories. While this makes hanging out with friends a little more personal and less electronic, it’s indicative of the pace in the north. Things are just a little bit slower, but not stagnant.
In the last year I’ve noticed little things, like a less expansive recycling program, a total lack of a composting program, smaller libraries, and fewer WiFi hot spots than in Ontario. However, in the last year I’ve also noticed a gradual increase in the use of technology such as the PRSD’s technology plan for schools, more businesses are online, and residents say high speed access is improving in the rural areas.
Change may not have hit the north quite as quickly as it did the more urban areas of our province and country, but that’s not to say it’s not coming.
So I ask, how can print journalism survive in the north without embracing the digital movement?
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