‘Looking at today’s declining newspaper readership and continuing that line, the last reader recycles the last printed paper in 2040- April, 2040 to be exact’, Phillip Meyer wrote in his book The Vanishing Newspaper.
With the emerging of new internet technology, newspapers industry has been threatened worldwide. Citing an example of News Corporation, the evolution of internet has attributed to the virtual information monopoly newspapers have enjoyed for decades, population growth that kept circulation reasonably intact and therefore masked slow circulation decline and lastly absolute circulation decline did not affect profitability. Therefore measures were not taken by the corporation to redress this cause.
This was cited in the speech by Rupert Murdock in his speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors seven years ago.
Tanzania’s case is not exceptional. Tanzania next to South Africa, is leading of having a good number of newspapers and magazines, let alone radios and television outlet.
In most cases circulation of some of the newspapers has declined or died a natural death due to emerging of internet in the country. Prominent newspapers like ‘Mfanyakazi’-an organ for trade unions, ‘Kiongozi’ a Roman Catholic religion organ have either declined no longer in circulation.
‘Uhuru’ the ruling party organ is of present rarely seen in circulation, just those few to mention. Decline in circulation has adversely affected advertising potential that led to natural death of some of the newspapers.
The emerging habit of Tanzanian youth to devote more on internet has exarceberted the declining culture of reading. It is very rare to see a teenage kid holding a book or pamphlet reading.
Newspapers still play a vital role in informing the citizen on important matters affecting their lives. In order to serve its readership and strengthen business, it is important to challenge and reformulate the conventions and culture of monopoly and censorship.
Teenage kids of today would want news on demand which is continuously updated. They do not only want to know what happened, but also why it happened and what impact it has on their daily lives.
Opportunities like creating partnership with internet through use of webs will help serve readers and strengthen business. The internet version will foster linkage of readers to other sources of information and other opinions with other like- minded people.
Using web portals can attract more advertisements for newspapers and make good business. According to Bill Gates, News Corporation portals for video and radio through internet can attract USD 30billion in advertisement for three years.
The new technology has come along, and like many other things, it is somewhat exciting but a direct competitor.
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