The Pros and Cons of On-line Newspapers

The Benefits and Disadvantages of On-line Newspapers

For centuries, newspapers have provided the world with up-to-date, useful information. During the World Wars, America turned to the printed press to receive reports, as the newspapers were a vital source of information for the public; however, over the last sixty years newspapers have evolved from more than just tangible chunks of paper that can be sold on a street corner.

Today, international newspapers can be found in mere seconds with a simple click of the mouse. In fact, many digital media experts believe that the second phase of the online newspaper phenomenon, called “Digital Delivery Daily,” will soon be upon us. If it works, consumers may soon see many different forms of media, including newspapers, which move out of print and into digital (Robins 2001). There is no doubt about it; the future of newspapers may very well be in the digital world. However, is this a good idea? The cyber world is filled with hackers, cyber-terrorists, slow connections, system crashes and excess traffic. When all of these factors are taken into consideration, many people are left wondering if eliminating the printing press in favor of digital technology is a good idea. Without a doubt, the internet has many disadvantages when compared to the traditional printed press. Newspapers and informational magazines should not be published exclusively on the internet because of two reasons: hackers and computer viruses.

Hackers have existed since the launch of the internet itself. Hackers, who pride themselves on demolishing data and changing a computer’s structure, use digital armaments to take advantage of the naiveté of the internet. Although hackers use a variety of me...

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...he masses. I believe that by simply keeping the news in print, at least until illegal performances on the internet can be aptly monitored, both consumers and news corporations can take advantage of the beneficial aspects of both the printed press and the technological world.

Works Cited

Harper, Christopher. And That’s the Way It Will Be. New York City: New York University Press, 1998.

“Internet Basics.” World Almanac and Books of Facts. 2001 ed. New York City: Primedia Reference Inc., 2001. 4 Oct. 2001 .

Robins, Wayne. “Newspapers Get Real.” Editor and Publisher 16 July 2001: 16. 4 Oct. 2001 .