The Close of Print Media !

The announcement that over a hundred regional and suburban newspapers will either close completely or change format to digital only will tend to isolate the news cycle to what people choose to believe on Facebook.

Unfortunately, this retreat has long been inevitable in our changing society.  Newspaper prices go ever higher as less and less customers order daily delivery and the advertisers who previously  filled their pages have either turned to other media or cut back on their advertising budgets.  As a result, newspaper news rooms are no longer the voice of ordinary people.  It seems that old habit of " writing a letter to the paper " to air a grievance has fallen by the wayside.

There is no doubt this move will result in massive job losses and the specialization of the skills required will be hard to blend into other industries.  What the nation will lose is the presentation of comment in a dispassionate form which allows the reader to absorb the facts and make up their own minds. Most newspapers have a political slant, but it is the editor's job to see that subject matter is presented fairly and in detail.

The local newspaper was usually considered the " voice of reason " amid the cacophony of weird ideas spewing forth from Facebook.  One of the detractions of Facebook is that it urges contributors to gain " followers " and that means a gaggle of people with similar ideas.   Once someone has settled in as a follower there is little incentive to break ranks and voice opposition to a weird idea their leader is promoting.

It is thought that this was instrumental in developing anti vaccination clusters which have played havoc with national plans to innoculate children against the range of diseases which we have under control, but are waiting in the wings to make a come back.   Eventually, we will have a vaccine against this coronvirus and it is very likely that the anti vaccine crowd will actively campaign against its use.  Even the best advice from leaders of the medical profession is ignored.

It seems that in future the " news " will consist of ten second " sound  bites "  that are a feature of television news.  Rarely do these stories have depth and most viewers quickly gain either acceptance or rejection based on initial story reaction.   We are about to lose the  opportunity to turn to the local newspaper for a balanced report on the issue involved.

It is fairly evident that Facebook is open to manipulation by overseas espionage agencies which use linked computers to show a plethora of " likes " for a point of view that is mostly ignored.  This can be effective in swinging the vote when elections are expected to run closely and it is difficult to prove in the anonymous web of the internet.   The loss of those print edition newspapers will make " thought impression " on Facebook a more powerful manipulator of public opinion in the years ahead.