Oklahoma's newspapers - yesterday, today, tomorrow and the next century

OKLAHOMA'S NEWSPAPERS
THE HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA NEWSPAPERS:  DESKTOP PUBLISHING ARRIVES

Part 6: The Future of Oklahoma Newspapers

By M. Scott Carter

In their first century, the newspapers of Oklahoma were born, grew and underwent numerous technological changes.
So what about the next 100 years?
Newspapers today face their future in a time of instant communication and the Internet.
It is a common assumption by people outside of the newspaper business that the Internet is killing community newspapers, said Mark Thomas, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Press Association.
"Nothing could be further from the truth," said Thomas. "The Internet opens up an exciting window of opportunity for newspapers.  We can engage readers in meaningful conversations. We can link advertisers with buyers. We can archive articles and information.  We can bring more depth and meaning to every story or photo we publish."
Community newspapers and 
Internet publishing actually compliment each other, he said.
 "Readers love having a printed product, and also enjoy the functionality of the Internet. If newspapers are innovative, creative and dedicated to improving quality of life for readers their future is very bright indeed," Thomas said.
Dr. Terry Clark, chairman of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Central Oklahoma, is also optimistic about the future of Oklahoma's newspapers.
 "The core strength of newspapers is local news," Clark said. "Newspapers are still the source of information for the public but they must focus on the local. People want to know what's going on in their communities."
Stu Phillips, a third generation publisher whose family has been in the newspaper business since 1899, said he believes people will want information about their friends and neighbors for many generations to come - whatever the format.
Survival of the newspaper industry has been challenged before, said Phillips, who is publisher of the Seminole Producer and president of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 "When my grandfather was starting in the business, the newspaper industry was going to die because of the new invention of commercial radio," he said. "When my father started in the business, the facsimile machine was going to replace the newspaper. When I started in the business, cable news networks were going to replace the newspaper. Now that our kids are in the business, the Internet is supposed to replace the newspaper."
Newspapers have a trained, local news gathering force and can provide readers with information no other medium can provide, added Thomas.  This gives newspapers strength, power and stamina in a fast paced world.  
"Not only do we have local information about today, but we have archived local information that can be found in no other place," said Thomas. "Newspaper archives will be a tremendous resource as we move forward."
One challenge to the newspaper industry, said Thomas, is that the Internet generation does not acknowledge the concepts of information ownership or copyright.  
"You can't just take another person's property without compensation," he said. "The music industry is also struggling with this issue, and all creators of original work need to be vigilant in this area."
While television and journalism never really embraced each other, newspapers and the Internet seem to fit together much better.
Most newspapers have World Wide Web sites. And those sites, far from being a simple marketing tool, are generating revenue and giving newspapers the opportunity to provide 'around-the-clock' coverage of local news and events.
It also offers newspapers another revenue source. In fact, according to the industry publication Editor and Publisher, more than $5.6 billion was spent on Internet-based advertising in 2006 and some newspapers generate more than 10 percent of their revenue with new technology.
Although newspaper people can be stubborn and determined, it's those same traits that have historically produced some of the greatest innovations and ideas.  
"Newspaper editors and publishers are some of the most independent people you will ever meet," said Phillips. "That's good if you need someone to stand up to a crooked politician. It's not good if you need them to change their business model to survive another decade.
"Those very traits that make newspapers great have made some newspapers unwilling to change with the times."
But companies and individuals that embrace innovation and apply common sense to the application of those ideas have nothing to fear in the future, said Thomas. 
"If we maintain a clear vision about who we serve, and how to best serve them, we will be even stronger as an industry," he said.
For newspapers learning to live in a wired world, Thomas puts it in perspective:
"The entire Bible is on the Internet, but you don't hear people talking about the death of the printed Bible," he said. "There's something about the printed word that resonates with humanity. Its functionality, portability, and permanence give it a special place in our life.  
"Technology may enhance its value and functionality, but technology cannot fill the void left by the absence of the printed word."