Is the News a Joke?
May 3, 2007 by Dave Earley
Filed under Media, News, Print
Perhaps it’s a result of recent numbers released saying newspaper circulation has declined yet again, but David Letterman’s Late Show Top Ten list the other night was “Top Ten Signs Your Newspaper is in Trouble“.
In reference to the post title, I don’t think news is a joke. Newspapers shouldn’t panic, but take heart that there is also a trend to increasing online readership. The revenue lost from print isn’t yet being returned online, and it might never fully be, but in the long run media outlets are not likely to go out of business. They’ll just be smarter about how they manage their resources and news collection. For example, in the form of unpaid citizen journalist contributors.
From David Letterman’s Late Show
Top Ten Signs Your Newspaper is in Trouble.
10) “Covers all the news that happens within one block of the office.“
9) “Today’s exclusive: ‘Nixon Dead!’“
8) “Reporter sent to jail for refusing to divulge a source…Oh, and he
also killed a dude.“
7) “All horoscopes: ‘Now would be a good time to get out of the
newspaper business.“
6) “Paper’s motto: ‘Suck It’“
5) “Every ‘hot gossip’ item is about Jack Klugman.“
4) “Managing editor and guy who wheels around breakfast? Same guy.“
3) “Under ‘weather,’ it just reads ‘yes.’“
2) “Instead of ‘Garfield,’ has a comic strip called ‘Garfunkel.’“
1) “You endorsed Dennis Kucinich.“
