Question

Explain the organizational and financial challenges that threaten American newspapers. How might these challenges affect American democracy?

Answer 1

A newspaper is called the fourth pillar of democracy. It is the source of local, national, and international news. The free society wants a free press; with the fall of journalism due to other means of communication producing reliable news is a difficult task.

The reason for the fall of the newspapers is the development of digital media. The revenues of the newspapers are continually falling as the digital media offers its platform at a cheaper rate. With the increasing cost and fewer revenues, the newspaper industry removes its employees and cut on the production of newspapers. With the falling trend of newspaper readers and the young generation being savvier with the modern technologies the newspaper readership is falling that has resulted in many of the newspaper houses closing down. At present, the Wall Street Journal can be taken as America’s only great national newspaper.

The newspaper industry is also changing to digital which is easily available to the people with the past and present news.

Before the advent of digital technologies, the newspaper was the only source of getting local, national, and international news. At that time also newspapers were labeled as pro-government and anti-government. The newspapers are taken over by the mainstream media. Now mainstream media is often pro-government they are owned by big corporate business houses who own an interest in the government.

The transparent news is available only on those news channels that still have faith in transparent and true journalism.

The reduction in newspaper readership and increase in digital media and mainstream viewers has created a big vacuum. As the saying goes the power love vacuum with less readership and more people on the digital media has provided that vacuum.

The new technology has changed the reader into viewers they love to watch and hear, the reading habits have decreased and watching has become the trend. Many digital media are not a reliable source and the newspaper is facing corruption and increased polarization because the consumer's choices have changed they want the news that is sensational and digital media has provided them the same.

For the democracy to survive it is required that the news is presented in different perspectives, with the falling journalism the local, national, and international news people are getting news that is mostly polarized. The local newspapers are the source of local news but these papers are also closing due to lack of funds and journalists. Although it is an essential public service there is no way to increase its production as the revenue is eaten by the other digital media.

Secondly, the newspapers in the US are underfunded by the government and it depends mostly on wealthy donors and other corporate houses, it makes it less responsive to public needs, and without financial support, the newspaper industry would not survive and would fail to support the local news.

It will be a loss to democracy. The newspaper journalist used to collect the news raises the issues for the interest of the public. With most of the papers closing down the fourth pillar of democracy is falling. The true journalism act like an opposition party they bring the public issues in limelight and question the ruling parties. To survive the democracy strong opposition is required the news paper’s editorial used to be the critics of the government’s wrong policies and appreciation for the good policies that are missing in the digital platform. To survive the democracy it is required to support the newspaper that is unbiased and work as public service and not propagating government agenda by becoming government mouthpiece.