What’s been up?

I have been traveling to our Lil’ Switzerland and back all week long, but I know I should come in here and post. Thanks for staying on the line!

Today, I wanna point your attention to comments on the war between internet and printed media that been showing up here and there as of late. After listening to one radio show I thought, I can’t let this issue untouched.

Radio Baltcom aired Wednesday how Vice Prez of Latvian Press Publishers Association Guntars Licis spoke for newspapers, truly protecting them. Sure, his optimism is alright, but he sounded like underestimating the web and it just made me smile.

“One thing doesn’t disturb another”, says Mr. Licis at the time when sales and the number of subscribers of Latvian tabloids are getting critically low. On the other hand, subscribers to RSS feeds of not only news portals but also blogs, steadily rise from day to day. And obviously citizen journalism and blogging perform the analysis task, which is to be done by press. Therefore, they act as evident competitors of printed media.

Not to even mention the task of delivering news, which newspapers are long not the source of - internet, radio, TV, without a doubt, bring the message to masses quick and easy.

I ain’t gonna be too sceptical though, I admit that prints have their own niche today. But this niche is becoming way smaller as internet develops. Icluding the regions - where the web is growing at rapid pace.

Guntars Licis agrees that “newspapers are read mostly by older generation and mid-age people, younger people somehow use the internet more”. “This is part of our culture and part of people’s habits, part of thinking”.

That’s what I’m saying, Mr. Licis!!! Today’s youngsters are going to be the same mid-age people by tomorrow, with own culture, habits and thinking. And going to “somehow use the internet more”…

Anyways, we’ll see. The only thing clear is that newspapers need to tightly secure their positions by printing reliable analysis, reports straight from events, interviews with key players in a field audience is interested in. And, of course, actively fight for a piece of an online pie.

Last bot not least, the Press Publishers Association should surely carefully observe the trends and head in the right direction, for not to end up broke and pity.

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