The world of print media is fast-evolving. As society moves into a more technologically-based lifestyle, news and entertainment have to follow suit. This means print journalists have to be able to move from newspapers and magazines to blogs and videos in order to stay relevant. The Wall Street Journal, the newspaper with the largest circulation in the United States, has taken advantage of these changes. The Journal is still available in print, but interested persons can subscribe online, and in 2004 the Journal released an application that allows subscribers to access content on their mobile phones. Today, their circulation is up to 2,061,142 (Daily average, not including special weekend edition).

The success of The Wall Street Journal portrays the importance for journalists to embrace society’s advancements and follow suit. This includes future journalists as well. Students planning on entering the print media field have to be trained in the areas of broadcasting and web production just to be marketable after graduation. Employers know that their companies have to make this shift, and so are looking to hire people who are versatile and will more easily and comfortably change alongside the industry. Even though the Journal has done well, the overall number of newspapers and magazines that are still in circulation is constantly diminishing as people turn to the ease of finding news bites on the Internet. In most cases, this news is free. The implication, of course, is that people do not want to have to pay a subscription for a newspaper anymore when they can read it for free online.

This shift is gradual. There are, obviously, still magazines and newspapers. People do still like to have the tangible paper to read. For many readers this is easier on the eyes. Still, the coming generations will see fewer printed materials in physical form. Even books are threatened with extinction with the invention of e-books and technology such as the Kindle. Students who hope to go into the communications field have to be aware that society is changing, and through their education and other preparation they have to be ready for this shift.

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Today’s guest post is written by Amanda Bray. She is a junior at Anderson University, double-majoring in Journalism and Writing. You can contact her at akbray@anderson.edu.