Will newspapers survive-Part 1

The future of newspapers is not a new topic as Radio 4's series of programmes this week.

On Monday's show Kim Fletcher tells us how,HG Wells predicted the end of newspapers in 1943,saying that we would get our news down the new fangled phone

Michael Woolf predicts their death on the grounds of pure demographics as young people are no longer reading them.Ellis Watson says that the circulation figures show the challenges of the digital revolution.Emily Bell concurs that on sales,newspapers are having a tough time due to both the internet and the growth of freebies.

Bill Hagerty believes that in the printed form,it will die but digital it is flourish.Both TV and radio were seen as predators in the past but newspapers survived.

Alan Rushbridger saw the future by investing in the new medium,as both youngsters and older people have deserted the printed word but sees the forms of future journalism as being more exciting and open to new developments on line but recognises that the model doesn't necessarily stand up economically.

Print is very expensive compared to digital platforms.Half of papers income came from advertising so whilst digital is a lot cheaper,online advertising does not bridge the gap through loss of sales.The nature of competition has increased so all this revenue will not go to the traditional media.

Emma Duncan at the Economist,sees the model going thru massive changes.She recognises that the model of the paper providing a range of services(news,stock prices,weather) has to change as these can be provided elsewhere.

On top of that there is an investment challenge.David Montgomorie is a champion of cost cutting regimes in print, and is currently re investing in Europe.He sees the online side becoming the most dominant and will drive the brand but print will still survive.Michael Woolf doesn't believe that this model will work as online will no provide the funds for printing.

Google is seen as the great bogey man by many as it can provide news and information and take away the purpose of a newspaper brand.Why will people keep buying papers in a googling future.

Newspapers who simply remain as purveyors of news will not survive.Ann Leslie though sees a niche for those as she calls it "with attitude".It is according to her the way that newspapers will have to move.

Simon Kelner agrees that the bulletin board will not survive as there are so many ways that people can get instant news.What they want is comment,analysis and interpretation.He sees this as the future innovation and newspapers need to know what their readers require.

It is also a question of technology.Alan Rushbridger foretells of the invention of the newspaper i-pod an easy way of reading news.The mobile phone could well be the next battle ground.

The newspaper then may survive but on a variety of platforms.Ellis Watson is one of those that says the quality of journalism will ensure that readers will move to whichever platforms the newspapers goes to.It is the quality of the brand that will survive.

Bert Hardy says that there is vigour energy and desire still in newspaper.He blames Rupert Murdoch's "day of the web "comments for the pessimism in the industry.His conversation to the internet is nothing to be sneezed out.However Murdoch has just invested £650m in new print presses in the UK.The three plants will print more quickly and more economically.13 million newspapers are still being consumed in the UK.

Perhaps,then there is a future after all????????