Apakah Koran akan Bertahan Hidup ?

Well, this question might become our first concern related with the high penetration of internet and social media. This is what I am thinking about it.

This is a very interesting question about the future of printed copy facing the digital era. It is true that the media landscape has been changed by the internet and the advance communication technology. It started when younger readers are now easier getting any information by accessing it with their smartphone without paying for a print newspaper at the gas station. Therefore, the media organization has been extending their medium with going online included the community newspaper. The ultimate goal is reaching the young readers while getting more profit by a subscriber.

However, it does not mean that the printed copy of newspaper will extinct at all. I believe that the advance technology will not ruin the printed copy but it will affect the way of the journalist works in seeking the information. I mean that the journalist will adapt with the new skill which required him to be more multimedia person. He must be well equipped with online writing skill, photography skill, online research skill and especially familiar with news digital tools.  

In addition, based on a report by Rick Edmonds , said that the old traditional newspaper may last longer than expected. He cited some new reports that stated there will be an extended economic shelf life for print although the new readers going online meanwhile more viable digital news products still growing. He also cited from Nielsen, “The direction of travel is clearly toward ‘new’ media, but ‘old’ media are still very much with us and do not appear to be about to disappear wholesale.”

In addition, there is still the uncertainty model of journalism for years to come. One of the uncertainty is finding the right business model. As it was expressed that “the journalism vision might broke down to two key uncertainties — are news readers looking for radical or reluctant change, and how accepting of technology will we be in the future.” Until now, most of traditional media are still depending on printed copy edition for getting profit than on online version.

So, based on the exploration above, I concluded that the printed copy will still exist in the future. It will adapt with the new era of information technology and finding it right model in sharing the information to the public. Especially for the community where the chain of personal relationship could be maintained by physical activities. I believe the printed copy still play a crucial role as that physical medium to tie all the members of the community.