Letting go of a 20th Century Relic to Advance into the Hyperage
The daily newspaper is to online news what steam trains are to jet airplanes.
Back in the early 19th century only a small percentage of the
population had ever flown in an airplane let alone seen one.
Most travel still occurred by small automobiles and slow trains. It wasn’t until Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight in 1927 that the population began to get hooked on SPEED.
It then took roughly another eighteen years untill the end of WWII when thousands of pilots were released from military service and many inexpensive aircraft became available to the general public.
Aircraft manufacturers began to provide light aircraft to the new middle class market. By the 1950’s there was no heading back to the days of the train.
On February 7, 1964 a historic event then occurred.
The Beatles invaded America, arriving by PLANE at JFK Airport….not by train, nor boat.
For those who were alive I am sure you saw how significant this moment was.
America, Music, Airtravel & the World would never be the same.
Today, could be seen to parallel to the early 1920’s – 30’s. As daily newspapers around the country grind to a hault. These 20th century relics are running out of steam to the onslaught of the hyper-powered online media revolution.
2009 has already seen the closure of many daily papers, including just last week the closing of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colorado.
Many experts (and you don’t have be be an expert here to figure this out) predict that this pattern is far from over and will eventually effect more than 95% of daily newspapers across America.
Maybe Craig is to blame? (Ya know the founder of Craigslist.. who made all those DAMN FREE Classifieds) Maybe the economy… Or Maybe we have just outgrown the need for ‘The Daily Clearcut’.
I don’t think it’s a question of if… I think this is a question of WHEN!
Of couse this won’t sit good with any hard working REAL JOURNALISTA or media mogul because they are gonna have to reinvent themselves. But what about the small photo store or local video shop? Folks, this isn’t a global recession we are facing this is GLOBAL CHANGE.
Back In the early 1930’s do you think people realized that one day they might be able to eat a banana any time day or night across America.
I doubt it… I think they were saying what’s a Bananna?
So what’s the future hold?
I’ll give you one hint.
THE NICHE
Take a part in creating of you creating your niche in the NEW MEDIA DEMOCRACY TODAY
