I worry about all sorts of things all the time, so it should come as no surprise that I am ever more worried about the future of newspapers.
My local anorexic newsprint product — gads, it’s gotten thin — has just unveiled some content changes that are predominantly visual. The Florida Times-Union now has a cartoon character, Jack, who will guide readers through the entertainment news.
The paper had already decreased its actual story count and has lots of summaries, celebrity news, teases to blogs and such on their web site, and so on. It’s beginning to look like a comic book or graphic newspaper.
I am torn because I want newspapers to survive, but I hate how much of their souls they appear to be selling to be so. I am not yet convinced that we have to go quite so far to get and keep readers.
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