The Rocky Mountain News, one of the oldest newspapers in the U.S. (began publication in 1859), submitted it's final publication today and will end operations after it was unable to find a buyer.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090227/ap_on_bi_ge/rocky_mountain_news_closes
Likewise, Yahoo.com reports that
Four owners of 33 U.S. daily newspapers have sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the past 2 1/2 months. A number of other newspapers are up for sale.
With the economic climate being what it is, it seems that less and less people are buying newspapers and are, instead, turning to internet and television sources for their news, making things even worse economically for print media.
Banks have been receiving "bailout" money from the government to keep these essential institutions in business. Are newspapers just as essential and should they be given the same consideration as banks when it comes to so many of them going out of business? Is the internet an acceptable / reliable alternative if this trend continues and more newspapers fail? (due 3/3)
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People need financial institutions because otherwise many people would lose their homes, cars, and businesses. Additionally, we must protect any major employer right now to prevent the US from losing hundreds of thousands of jobs. A newspaper, however, is NOT a necessity. Americans do need to stay informed, but all major newspapers are available online instead of print copy and there is absolutely no reason why we can't get our information from free services. Additionally, we still have TV news media and talk radio. There is absolutely no reason to bail out the newspaper industry, regardless of how many are shutting down.
ReplyDeleteNewspapers are deffinatley an essential. There are free ways to get informed of the news. The internet, tv, and the radio all broadcast the news. Why would someone want to pay for something when they can get it for free, expecially during this tough economic time. People have become more consious of spending less and this is causing more job losses. Newspaper industries do not need any bailout money.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tim, there is no need for a bailout for newspapers. People are cutting back on spending and they wont want to pay for something when they can get the same information for free. This will cut a lot more jobs, but people these days are just not spending. They are making better choices on cutting back on spending.
ReplyDeleteThere is no need to bailout the newspapers. However, I think it is sad that they cannot get enough support to stay in business. Newspapers have been around for a very long time, and they are a part of our American history. But as long as the main newspapers are doing fine, I do not think that the government should bail out the newspaper industry.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tim. There are cheaper and easier ways to get the news. People are more likely to look on the internet for free than spend the money on a newspaper. Maybe newspapers should start selling online.
ReplyDeleteI also think there is no reason to bailout the newspapers. People need to stay informed, but there are many other free ways to do this. They have TV news, media, internet, exc. There is no reason to pay money for something that is offered for free other places.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelsey. People are making the smart choice by not spending their money on something they can get free. It makes more sense to do this. There is no reason for a bailout for newspapers. It is NOT a necessity.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they should bail the newspapers out. There are other ways for them to make more money. They could charge more for advertisements. Some businesses, like McDonalds, are doing well right now so perhaps they could afford to pay more for advertisements. The newspapers could also charge for an internet subscription.
ReplyDeleteOur economy is capitalistic. Some businesses thrive, others fail. This is how it works. If you lose your job because you chose a career path, that wasn't a necessity, sorry about you, better luck next time. Having a newspaper is not necessary, especially when in our technological age, news is readily available to us on the internet. If newspapers want to make money, they should start charging money to be able to view the news online. Just like the industrial jobs are going out of style in the U.S., so are newspapers.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Katie and Jessica. If newspapers are looking to make money, they need to raise their advertisment fees or they need to start charging for people to use their websites. Websites are a lot easier to handle for many people, because they can look at JUST the information they want to see. Also, "going green" is a HUGE trend in the world today. This would be not only a financially sound move for the newspapers, it would also be ecologically friendly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kelsey. With the economy how it is, no one has money to buy newspapers when they can get the same exact information online. Newspapers are just a waste of paper.
ReplyDeletei think that the internet can do the same thing as the newspapers. if they were to quit publishing they would still get the same message acrossed but not in the same way. i think that it is better to do it on the internet because it will not be wasting paper or the ink. i think that it would hert alot of people though because the people that deliever paper will be out of a job.
ReplyDeleteNewspaper are not essential. The united states has fallen into a rut where we believe that the jobs will always be there. This just proves that you need to work harder than ever in school in order to get a good education so you can get a good lasting job. It stops people from setteling for weak jobs. The world is changing and everyone needs to adapt.
ReplyDeletei agree with claire that it is your job choice and you should pick a valuble job. i also think that at the time that some got the job it may have been needed. everyone is strogling at this time in our economy so if you get hit with the bad end it happens. i think that they should be helped getting other jobs but there is a long list of people looking for jobs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with chad internet is the way to go. It is the future and people must learn to adapt. Even if people are going to lose jobs you must take the hit and keep going. That is what America is about. You must be able to accept change and be able to adapt.
ReplyDeleteClaire is right when she talks about "going green." Keep in mind that every single day that a newspaper is delivered, they have to cut down trees, burn fuel to run the printing press, burn fuel to deliver them, and then they are typically disposed of in landfills if they are not recycled. This would be a great accomplishment for environmentalists if they could get newspapers to shut down print copies sometime soon.
ReplyDeleteI think that the era of people going out and buying newspapers is over. A person can just simply check on their computer and recieve more news than a newspaper can ever dream of giving. Newspaper company's do not need a bailout from the government, unlike banks which do. Without banks, the country would become a complete mess, were as people can live without newspapers. I know that its bad to see newspapers going out of bussiness, but the economy is bad and we need to take the lumbs were less will be effected.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chad, nobody, except thoes that work at the newspaper will get hurt. Ya we might loose some jobs but that is better than wasting money to keep some people working, were if we didn't help we would be saving many more jobs. People can get news from just about anywhere. We don't need newspapers anymore. The internet can give much more news than any newspaper.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that they should bailout the newspapers. Yeah, the newspapers are helpful, but there are many other ways to get the information you need. Personally, I think that the television or the internet are better ways to get your information because you aren't wasting paper or ink. Half of the people who get newspapers just read them then throw them away.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Claire. It is your own fault if you choose a job that isn't a necesity. Newspapers are not something that is neccesary. As each day passes, our technology gets better and better, so eventually people are going to start going to the internet and tv's before looking at newspapers.
ReplyDeleteI think newspapers will become extinct with the rise of new technololgy. Newspapers are becoming outdated because it is much simpler to get todays news from the internet. I dont see a reason to bailout newspaper companies because they arent as essential asset to rebuild the economy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anna Newspapers arent as important as they used to be. Today using the internet is much easier and faster. I think the government should let them go and move on instead of wasting time trying to bail them out.
ReplyDeleteI think we could go on with out newspapers. Some internet sites are reliable and we could search for the information we need faster than a newspaper. By using internet instead of newspaper, we could save trees and not waste paper on them. Banks are way more important than newspaper companies. We can live without newspapers, but we cannot live with out our banks. The bailout money should be used for good purposes instead of daily entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chad, the newspapers aren't essential. We can find other ways to get the message across to people. But with losing these companies, people also lose their jobs and in this poor economic time, many cannot afford to be off work. The newspapers closings causes some problems, but nothing to drastic like it would if a bank closed.
ReplyDeleteI feel that it is necessary to bail out larger corporations that employee many workers in the United States. However, I don't feel as though all newspaper firms fit this criteria. I do feel though that the major newspapers should be bailed out if they are in trouble. The internet can be reliable but not everyone has access, especially the older generation who tends to read the newspaper the most, so some newspapers need to stay in business.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Chad. I realize that many people have the internet and TVs which are capable of informing citizens of the news. However, this is not the case for everyone. Some people may not use the internet and do not want to wait to hear about things that have happened on TV. I do think that it would be a good idea to stop carrying the newspaper in order to protect the environment but I do not believe that it is feasible for this reason and simply because as people have stated earlier that the newspaper is part of the American way of life.
ReplyDeleteI think newspapers should be given the same amount of considerations. If the newspaper does go out of business then the people working their will be out of work. Which means the more people that are out of work. If newspapers do fail then I guess the internet would be an acceptable source. We would still be able to get the information.
ReplyDeleteI as well think that the bailout of newspapers is not a necesity. Banks and other corporations have a higher rank above newspapers. There are other reliable sources everywhere that could serve the same purpose as a newspaper does, or even possibly surpass that of a simple paper. Yes, I understand that not everywhere has access to the Internet at home, but computers are offered at every local Library and other locations that could accomidate their needs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Briana that they need to bail out the newspapers to help the employees keep their jobs. If they can bail out the small ones then go ahead but at least bail out the bigger ones. Also not all people have or like to use the internet. They would rather read the paper.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Greg, newspapers still do not have a high priority. Yes, they serve as a way to inform us on news worldwide, but it actually takes longer for them to print their stories, than that of the internet. We would be able to go on just fine without a newspaper, so therefore it is simply just a luxury.
ReplyDeleteI think the newspapers should not get as much money but they are important because if the newspapers fail the only way to get information is through TV and the internet and some people cant afford the internet.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Briana because if they shut down newspaper places than people would loose their jobs. The whole point of Obama was to create jobs not get rid of them.
ReplyDeleteI don't think newspapers should be given the same attention as banks. I believe the money should be spent on companies that will benefit the country as a whole. Thousands of jobs have been replaced by machines in the past. Newspaper companies is an example of this. They will eventually die out so there is no need for the goverment to waste money on attempting to save them when there is no benefit of helping the economy. I believe states need one large newspaper company at the most.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brittany. Newspaper are a waste to the environment and much more expensive to run. Eventually everything will be turned over to technology eventually, why not start with the news. The news is so much more accessable and is much cheaper to run. I also agree with Hallie. Everyone has access to internet through jobs, libraries, or school. There is no reason everyone cant access it for free.
ReplyDeleteI think that newspapers should be given the same amount of recognitiotn. because if the newspaper goes out of buisiness, then the more poeple are out of there jobs. If this were to happent hen the internet would be a liable source.
ReplyDeletei agree with greg that the big newspaper companies should be bailedout, but if smaller one go out it wont effect as many as the big ones. Also i agree that many people like ot read the newspaper rather than going on the computer and getting the info.
ReplyDeleteI think the news papers are essential to get the news out. The elderly people don't use the internet as much as we do. I don't think they would get the news if it wasn't for the news papers. For the younger people, the internet is reliable, but only sometimes. If the internet goes down, you can't see what is going on. I think we should stick with the newspaper.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dant. The news paper needs that money. Too many people need the news and rely on it in that form.
ReplyDeleteI believe that money that is greatly needed at this time should not be spent on bailing out newspapers. I think that their are easier ways to receive the news and not everyone gets the newspaper anyway. Newspaper companies do not even compare to the magnitude of importance that banks do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kassie that newspapers are a waste and that technology will take over at some time. Bailing these companies out will not do much and the money can be used elsewhere at a time like this.
ReplyDeleteI think that we should bailout newspapers as well because they produce jobs for people. wether its publishing or avertizement it makes and creates jobs.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dant newspaper affect people more than you think.
ReplyDeleteI think that newspapers are just as essential as banks and should be given the same consideration as them when it comes to so many of them going out of business. It's a necessity that people know what's going on in the world and hear about the news. I don't think that the internet is an acceptable/reliable alternative because not everyone knows how to operate a computer or has access to the internet. It's not fair for those people to be shut out of what's going on in the world because newspapers no longer exist. Everyone needs to be in the know and understand what's happening in the world around them and newspapers are the key to this communication.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with Kassie. I believe that newspapers are one of the biggest benefits to this country. Newspapers get people involved with what's going on locally, nationally, and around the world. It is the one common means of communication that everyone relies on together. Also, if the newspapers collapse and die out, thousands of people will be out of jobs, increasing the unemployment rate. It would be a mistake not to help the newspaper companies while they need it.
ReplyDeleteI think newspapers are essential because a free and open media is an a vital component to a democracy. Even though more people are getting their news from the internet, newspapers are still necessary because not everyone has access to the internet. Although newspapers may not be as important as banks when it comes to bailout money, they should be given money if the area they serve would be without a newspaper if they went bankrupt.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Luke. Newspapers provide thousands of people with jobs across the country and in the current economic crisis every job is necessary.
ReplyDeleteBecause of how advanced our society is I don't think that the newspaper is a necessity. All the news in the newspaper is on the internet and on the news. Also there is more news on the internet and on the news than in the newspaper.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tim. The newspaper business doens't need a bailout like the banks did. Also we do need to keep our major businesses intact so that we don't lose money and jobs.
ReplyDeleteThe newspaper is very essintial. Many people are still in the dark about the interenet and cannot access it. Their only way to recieve news is to read it in the newspaper. If newspaper does become extinct then we can use the internet as our only source to news. People who do not have internet may visit a local library.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jenny. Banks should still give money to newspaper because they are a reliable source to news. Many people use both the internet and newspaper as news sources and others only rely on newspapers. They are important
ReplyDelete