Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Event Information

Are Books And Newspapers Heading For Extinction?

A debate on the changing media of communications and information technology.

If you can get up to date news delivered directly to you mobile phone or desktop computer, why bother to buy a newspaper? If you can donwload the complete works of your favouite author from the internet to read on a handheld display, why buy books?

Report
By John Hampshire

Forty-three members forwent the opportunity to witness a Viking enactment on the Museum Gardens lawn on a fine afternoon. Jim Matthew explained he had been unable to assemble a team of newspaper editors to lead the debate owing to problems in their industry. So he substituted a presentation of salient facts about current publishing.

This masterly survey contained the paradox that newspapers were declining but book production was increasing (100,000 new titles a year).

The audience contributed possible reasons for the changes – the internet was felt to be significant, so was the advent of the free press devoted to advertising. It was clear that there were others factors, not the least important being the marked increase of bulk in newspapers which discouraged readership.

Members were fairly evenly divided in their support for the question posed but on balance the Chairman’s summing up:  “Darwinian newspaper features: consolidation, adaptation, extinction”, won the day.