The future of newspapers : adapting to the Web : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

The newspaper industry is in a period of transition. Circulation is shrinking, readership is decreasing and stock prices are falling. In addition, newspapers continue to struggle to compete with broadcast and online news. As more readers chose to get their news from timelier sources, newspaper editors and publishers have slowly realized the importance of creating their own newspaper Web sites. However, they are concerned that devoting too much time and too many resources to their papers' online products will bring out the newspaper industry's muchprophesized death.Embracing the Internet does not necessarily mean that newspapers will cease to exist. Publishing news on Web sites rather than in print signifies a format change. Newspaper-style journalism (regarded for in-depth reporting and extensive coverage) will remain a valuable commodity. To prove the industry's ability to overcome this new challenge, the paper discusses past format changes to which newspapers have adjusted. In addition, the paper discusses the "WebFirst" project and the implications of the project's findings in relation to the industry.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?.