The internet is becoming increasingly popular in Australia. Studies have shown that one fifth of Australians would choose to sacrifice a meal over their internet privileges; the internet is considered to be its own crucial home-utility.
In the past, newspapers were the preferred source of news and information for many Australians. In recent years, due to the rapid increase in popularity of the internet, many newspapers have added online versions of their newspapers in order to remain profitable and also to appeal to the younger audiences who are more attracted to digital media. Digital media has become such a key factor in distributing information that much of many organization’s profits come from the use electronic media.
Cleary there is an intense demand for both electronic and print media, but in considering the growth of the internet, will the online news eventually become the primary source of information? Will print media eventually become phased out?
Links:
http://www.pressreference.com/A-Be/Australia.html
4 thoughts on “Has online news taken over?”
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This is becoming a universal conversation that is not unique to just Australia. We are a technology-driven and minded generation and are constantly thinking of new ways to use digital platforms to get information even more quickly than we can now. Newspapers and other print media are forced to keep up with these trends because that’s where the readership is going; they’re turning to more online sources. In the presentation, Australia and New Zealand both were discussed in relation to social media use and sites like Facebook and Twitter also have become huge sources for news and information, apart from sharing photos and personal statuses. For example, while I do still read newspapers, I also primarily use Twitter to get my news. It becomes a more personal experience, too, because you can interact directly with reporters, which many probably think is a perk over print.
Whether print media will be completely phased out remains to be seen and will probably not happen immediately, but it is important to keep up to date with online trends and be able to serve readers on that platform as well. There are still definite benefits for print over online but there are also benefits for online over print. It will be interesting to see what AUstralia does in the future as far as using primarily online sources, but also globally as the push for technology and the ability to get information and news online increases and changes rapidly.
It is not a secret that in this day and age technology is advancing and taking over all aspects of life. This generation, unlike others, grew up with technology that it has become an important aspect in their life. Not only is this a common practice to happen in Australia, but also everywhere else in the world. What used to just be used for entertainment is now used for news, information, and sources. To keep up with these trends newsprint and other print media sources have created online versions to their books and papers, which in turn is decreasing the need for print media. Articles are easily accessed through the internet, it is a lot quicker to find, and it cuts the cost of actually buying a print version. Nevertheless, there are a some people that would much rather have a printed version, whether they enjoy it better or find it easier to read than from a screen. For example, my dad gets the paper every day to stay up to date on the news and events happening, and also to do the puzzles that go along with. He is more comfortable using print media and finds enjoyment in it. He is not the only person like this and this population is one of the factors keeping print media thriving. I feel as though in time online news will become our primary source of information, however I don’t think it will completely phase out print media. It will be interesting to see how the media changes in the upcoming years and how more advance we come as a world population.
It is not a secret that the Millennial Generation is digitally obsessed. With this ongoing transition from print to digital, it is the generations before us who are keeping print alive. Elementary students are being taught via technology to the point where they do not even know how to sign their name with a pencil because they are so used to using their index finger on an iPad. The Millennial Generation is lucky enough to have experience with the best and the worst of both worlds aka pre and post Internet.
It is not just Australia who has encountered a rapid increase in Internet usage in recent years; it is an ongoing trend among dozens of other countries as well. Many print publications are not only being published to online websites, but digital issues are replacing print issues also. Having worked for a few newspapers in the past, I am aware of the content in which is published via both mediums. While hard hitting news is typically available both print and online, I have learned that much of the online content is “Generation Y” geared, and print content aimed for an older audience.
It is quite shocking that 20 percent of Australians would rather sacrifice a meal than surrender their Internet privileges. To me, that is sad. But it is a reality because much of our every day tasks, including paying the bills, checking bank accounts, keeping up with friends, family, and professors, homework assignments, and much more are done electronically. It seems like it is becoming impossible to live day to day without the advantages the Internet has to offer. I believe there will be a day when print publications are extinct and generations years ahead will find it funny that we once had to leave our houses in order to gain access to news.
This post was very interesting to me, as it is related another post about the use of radios for news in New Zealand. The Internet is so crucial in my day-to-day life, I cannot imagine being without it. Whether it is staying connected with family and friends through social media, checking my email, or simply looking something up on the Internet, the Internet is a valuable medium in so many ways.
Australia is like the U.S. in that newspapers used to be the preferred source of news and information before the age of the Internet. I have heard questions about whether or not print media will eventually become phased out before, and it is difficult to answer this. Although less popular than digital media amongst younger generations, print media is still a part of our society. Some people prefer to read a paper copy of the newspaper. For instance, my father reads a print version of our local newspaper every morning while he eats breakfast. This is just habit for him, and it is not likely that he is going to swap out the print version for a digital version of the newspaper on his tablet anytime soon. For our generation, I do think that online news will eventually become our primary source of information, because we have grown so accustomed to it growing up. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future.