The newspaper publishing industry has been struck hard by a combination of competing media, lowered readership and tough economic times. Many web sites have stepped forward to bring the news fast and furious to readers around the world, as have 24 hour cable news outlets across the globe. The current climate produces a deadly combination that can leech newspaper readers, experts say, and convert them to faster mediums such as the news outlets aggregated by services such as Google News, Reuters and the Associated Press. Recently Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google Inc. revealed in a public speaking event that he views newspapers as fundamental to the process of democracy and that they play an important role in a free society. Schmidt has said that the problem newspapers face is related to their business model rather than the content they offer.
Schmidt and many other experts in the media have stated that the rise of social media offers newspapers a strong way to get their articles aired to the public and keep a tight focus on the quality of their reporting or opinion columns. With devices such as iPods, smart phones and Amazon’s Kindle achieving wide spread popularity as reading devices for consumers on the go, newspapers could experience a re-surge in readership if they are able to leverage the popularity of the digital medium in a profitable way, say analysts. A core component may end up being the web’s ability to allow newspapers to speak directly with their readership and develop …