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Editorial
It takes an event like the tragic death of Michael Jackson to highlight that the die-hard supporters of printed newspapers slowly resemble the dinosaurs before the big-bang wiped them out.
At Kings Cross this morning the first edition national newspapers normally arrive at 1am, Michael Jackson was confirmed dead at midnight UK time, giving absolutely no chance to the night editors of the nationals to print anything before 6-7am in the morning. The Sun and the Daily Mail managed to get a final edition around 6am, but imagine the scene inside one of the news rooms of the large nationals at 1am?
Meanwhile online the TMZ.com who broke the story first, the LA Times and The London Daily News, and other newspapers had already updated the story three of four times as and when the story was developing, with Twitter feeds being monitored and live coverage from CNN being closely watched.
It’s over guys. Despite the jump in newspaper sales for the Telegraph following the MP expenses scandal, what 25 year old is going to run to buy a newspaper when they can log online goto Google News and pick up the latest news on Michael Jackson.
The demographics have changed there is no way back, print has a clock ticking on how long it will survive, with news stories breaking so fast how can a printed newspaper keep on top of a story?
In the old days of the Evening Standard when it used to set the national news agenda five or six editions would be circulated per day. Now if you are lucky 2-3 editions are circulated, and by the time the West End Final hits the news stands a story may have already changed, that’s life!
There is role for print, but it will not longer play the part of the "agenda setter" but will allow people to read in depth on issues that are in the news. photo credit: London Daily News 1am man reading The Sun - no sign of MJ story
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