Editorial: Newspapers are still relevant

In this ever-evolving digital age, physical media are constantly being questioned, especially newspapers. Why, for example, should you still be reading this editorial in a standard newspaper, and not just online?

We’ll tell you exactly why newspapers are still relevant,

and will remain relevant for years.

Print newspapers have a more communal appeal. The Oregonian is special to us because of the way it looks and feels in our hands, as opposed the New York Times or any newspaper outside the region. Very few people take pride in their state’s top local website, meanwhile.

With a printed paper, there is a greater adherence to weeding out errors. When things are being reported and directly uploaded to the Internet, they are normally rushed, to get the news out as fast as possible. And, that rushed agenda encourages errors to seep into the articles. The benefit of news producers being able to correct online errors is fine and good, but, by the time errors are pointed out, the damage has already been done. Readers will ream writers and editors in the comment section for what might be a tiny little error.

Unlike websites, papers are intricately designed so that photos complement the articles, and it’s presented in a digestible and sleek package. The web is just a nonstop stream of articles that rarely have any connection to each other.

Websites undoubtedly have their own look and design that are no small effort, but newspapers are a whole different ball game. Websites will only change their look and format every year or so, while papers take on different structures every issue. Papers have more character. There is more care in how a page is designed in a print edition than on a website.

When something has a true physical representation, it feels like a product. A paper is something we can hold, cherish and show to others. There is something special and somewhat brave about creating something that is finalized and cannot be altered.

Part of that finality and craft of a newspaper is a conduit to professional respect. If we, at The Advocate, were simply the Mt. Hood Community College website, we probably wouldn’t be taken as seriously.

We’re not saying that papers are better in any way to other forms of news consumption. Many people prefer having a constant stream of news that can be easily accessed. And that is how must of us get our news these days.

We fully acknowledge the shortcomings of a newspaper, as well. Each has its limits, such as word counts and page space that can inhibit creativity. A writer may have needed an extra one or two hundred words to flesh out his or her article, but just didn’t have the space. Or, possibly a great news story couldn’t be reported because it surfaced too late in the (more complex) production cycle.

However, having limits in what and how much can be placed in the paper also has its benefits. Word counts can force writers to streamline their articles and trim the fat. And, most of the time, you have a paper packed with interesting topics and stories, the cream rising due to competition over limited space in a set number of pages.

If print were to die, it would be a heartbreaking loss of a historical mainstay. Since 59 B.C., when Romans produced Acta Diurna – the “Daily Acts” in Latin, considered the first “newspaper” (in tablet form) – we have learned the world’s trials and tribulations mostly through ground-up tree-sheets.

Some of us at The Advocate thought that newspapers were antiquated, until we actually took part in creating one. It’s a lovely and pleasing arrangement that provides a plethora of reading material in one convenient location. And that type of sentiment just can’t be equaled, online.