Many forecast that conventional media, including print media, would be replaced immediately by digital media.
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Kompas/Bahana Patria Gupta
Visitors look at historical newspapers on Tuesday (14/2) at the "Jalan Panjang Pers di Indonesia" (Long Journey of the Press in Indonesia) exhibition at the House of Sampoerna Museum in Surabaya, East Java.
When digital technology burst on the scene at the end of the 1980s to replace analog technology, nearly all segments of life saw drastic change.
One of these is print media. Many forecast that conventional media, including print media, would be replaced immediately by digital media. Digital technology enables anyone to become a news source through uploading text and pictures and distributing them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram.
In reality, a lot of print media were forced out of the picture, with readers shifting to social media, which provide unlimited and free information. This occurred in relation to the revenues of affected media.
However, the pendulum is swinging slowly in search for a new balance. Throughout this year, various social movements have been encouraging a critical stance on social media content.
On the one hand, digital technology has urged connectivity without time or geographical limitations, as long as there is an internet connection. On the other hand, digital technology has also given birth to social media that present inaccurate and false information, as well as provocative content, even invitations to join forbidden organizations.
The Nielsen Company, a global company that specializes in evaluating information and consumer behavior, has disclosed the public’s desire for accurate news. Nielsen\'s survey, conducted between the fourth quarter of 2016 and third quarter of 2017 in 11 Indonesian cities, showed readers still trusted print media as their source of information.
The finding is good news that people still need information that can be trusted, at the same time giving print media the responsibility to continue providing accurate and objective news. Accuracy, objectivity, and balance are increasingly important in a democratic society, which enables the media to publish news almost without government censorship.
In an era where unlimited information is available, public trust in print media is a call of duty to guide readers through information that is accurate and critical, without neglecting journalism’s duty to defend the less fortunate and not to be the tool of group or individual interests.
Digital technology complements print media. Digital media is superior in speed to present information, while print media has an interest in maintaining accuracy and long-term attachments in the public consciousness.
Print media, because of the needs of the era, also present digital editions on the side that carry the same journalistic qualities. Therefore, print media will continue to exist as long as it presents information that is qualified, interesting, and trustworthy.
