Social Media is a mixed blessing for print media employees. One example is Britain’s Guardian Newspaper.
Faced with a deficit they have announced plans to halt production on several weekly newspapers and replace them with on-line editions.
In the changeover 250 staff members have lost their jobs. They will be replaced by local bloggers who are to be paid per story and without benefits.
Part of the problem is the loss of advertising dollars. More companies are embracing Social Media which is less expensive than using traditional media.
Can newspapers survive? The future for them is bleak. On the other hand, evolving into news aggregators instead of news producers might just tip the scale in their favor.
It’s a double edge sword. Social Media is allowing The Guardian to stay afloat by using local bloggers. On the other hand it’s placed people out of work at a deep personal cost.
What do you think about The Guardian’s move and the future of print publications?