Power Of The Press
This morning's 大象传媒 Radio Scotland Investigation programme looked at facing the Scottish newspaper industry. Former Scotsman Editor, John McGurk described how falling sales and falling advertsing revenue are forcing many newspaper owners to cuts costs or seek new sources of finance.
The latest blow comes from local authorities who are planning to move their recruitment advertising on to a special website. Apparently the Scottish Government may have to do the same thing if auditors decide that it would be a waste of public money to do anything else. Newspapers are following that trend and many now have sophisticated online editions.
Now, I'm a enthusiast for most things online but I have to confess that I would miss actual paper newspapers if, as predicted, they disappear within a decade.
But we've heard the same gloomy prediction for books and, frankly, I've always thought that was nonsense.
The truth is that no one in the media - press, radio, tv - really knows what the future holds. We're all hedging more bets than a bookie in a maze.
Newspapers doomed? Next you'll be telling me that global warming is for real.
