Among the reasons for Slate’s unhinged success this year – in extenso of the online industry, Weisberg mentioned the cut lead-time, which guaranteed scoop-like information online, as well as the interactivity enabled by the Internet. "Anyone who really wants to participate in that (political) conversation has to have a presence on the web now,” said Weisberg, as opposed to famed columnists such as Frank Rich and Maureen Dowd, who are barred from that conversation because of TimesSelect’s pay-wall.

On the other hand, Weisberg didn’t hide his worries about a declining print newspaper industry. “I don’t want to be too negative here, but newspapers have lost a lot of their status, their chic, their appeal to young people,” he said.

"Budgets and staff everywhere are being cut, resources and audience are shrinking. Several of the leading papers are for sale or have recently been sold, including the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Baltimore Sun…”

Weisberg forecast wasn’t fatalist though, and he thought it is still time for online conversion. “Ten years from now I think there will still be printed newspapers, but the Times will be much further along in their migration to the web.”

Weisberg seemed to agree with the current consensus. Online media will progressively take over – perhaps the balance has already shifted for good – but major newspapers will ‘necessarily’ survive.
“The most important newspapers in this country need to exist. Our democracy needs them. Life as we know it would be unthinkable without them,” said Weisberg.


Source: The Guardian