New technology effecting local media — how to upgrade and advance with the times

As the rise of technology and new media platforms arise, print medias along with broadcast media are left with large deficits that they must face.

As we come close to starting a new decade, we can look back and see the drastic change in media and how that affected everyone’s day to day lives. In everyone’s back pocket or bag sits a gateway to reach the news and constantly be informed. Because of this switch to internet, more and more media organizations are having to convert their work onto internet, smartphone and social media platforms.

Because of this transition into digital media, advertisers will start to shift over their ad campaigns into the new platform in order to reach the most people. Once they perform the move over to digital media platforms print media will feel the monetary effect on their overall revenue intake.

One place that sees the effect of this shift is local newsrooms, who rely heavily on the advertising of their community. As less and less profit flows into local news, we will continue to see community papers cease to exist or look for larger news organizations to absorb into.

According to a Pew Research study on the state of news media, newspaper’ advertising revenue took a 10% drop from 2016 to 2017 based on the Center’s analysis of financial statements for publicly traded newspaper companied. The study continues to point out the drop in daily newspaper circulation in print and digital media in 2017, showing that weekday distribution was down 11% AND Sunday distribution was down 10%.

While local communities see an obvious decline in the distribution of their paper, a greater impact is forging out of this decline in local news.

Now that many communities lack their own source of news, these areas might see a lack of communication. As researchers look closer into the local media platform, they soon recognized the important role local newsroom play in a community. Ryle Griffin, a reporter for the Bloomberg, said in his article about local news dying that while local news organization continue to decline and close their doors due to lack of ad revenue and steady employment, the largest casualty in all of this is consistent, original reporting.

Griffin continues to drive the point that the accountability that comes through local news will cease, allowing for unwatched government officials to carry out deals and legislation that might get overlooked.

As long as local medias are slow to adjust to new digital media platforms, local reporting could soon come to an end, creating a problem for the heart of local communities. Without the funding needed to pay journalists, local news will lack consistent reporting that is valuable to a community of any size.

News will never die but the way people consume the news is always changing and adapting to new platforms. News organizations have seen this especially throughout the last decade. In order to provide local communities the news they deserve, local news medias cannot be shy to adapting their publishing process, showing people the necessity for local news.