The evolution of newspapers

As a journalist with deep roots in the world of technology, I find today's discussions on the future of newspapers in an increasingly electronic, online world to be fascinating.

I'm lucky to be right in the middle of the discussion: I write for a newspaper, I maintain a blog, and my comments on technology and its implications have been published and broadcast widely in recent months.

And as much ink has been spilled about whether the newspaper as we know it will even exist - either in its current form, a modified one, or at all - in a few years, the discussion is far from over.

Frank Ahrens is the Washington Posts's media & entertainment industry reporter. He penned a piece - Ink and Paper or 1s and 0s? - in yesterday's paper. Subtitled Nervous, Newspapers Look to Technology for Alternate Ways to Put the News in Your Hands, the piece does a great job talking about the core issues that are driving the change in newspapers, and some of the future technologies the editors of tomorrow will use to deliver the news to our doorstep.

The Washington Post often has reporters go online to hold chat/Q&A-type sessions with readers. The transcript of this particular session is stored under the Newspapers: The Future headline. Note to any editors who read this: the Post's implementation is leading-edge. Read and learn.

It's important stuff, because we all need some sort of window on the world. And even if we don't subscribe and pretend not to care, the evolution of all media ultimately affects us all.

For a somewhat different perspective on this issue, David Carr published a piece entitled Forget Blogs, Print Needs its own iPod in the October 10th New York Times. The Post is also ran this piece on the 12th: Wall Street Journal To Narrow Its Pages. I'll post links to more pieces like this as they hit print - or the web.

Your turn: Where are newspapers headed? Why? What will have to happen to ensure their survival and growth?

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