News Worthy

I have a confession: I get the majority of my news from the Internet. And yes, I say this with a bit of shame. I suppose I'm simply a product of my generation, but I'm definitely not alone. We live in a digital age, and newspapers have been hit hard. Leading to the debate that print is dead, and will soon be completely nonexistent. Call me optimistic, but I strongly believe (despite the skeptics out there) that print will live on. I can't imagine a day when I wouldn't prefer curling up with my favorite book over reading it on a harsh, bright computer screen. And although I have turned my back to newspapers, many people still have the same passion for reading the newspaper that I hold for the printed book. Nostalgia aside, realistic numbers prove that paid circulation costs and advertising revenue is down. Not good for the newspaper survival rate. However, newspapers are beginning to find new life in the digital world. Most major newspapers now have an online component. Diving into Web 2.0 the New York Times is taking this one step further. Check out this interesting article about the New York Times' effort to join the social networking craze. Details are still being worked out, however, it's interesting to see the idea surfacing. From a design standpoint, newspapers should be honored and appreciated for their grid-based design - one of the most fundamental and important design elements. And for all you designers and loyal newspaper readers, check out this article from Smashing Magazine which highlights some of the most impressive and well designed newspapers from around the world. Amazing the different design approaches taken in various countries - some use the beauty of white space while others play with the size and scale of headlines. Impressive! Again, it would be sad to see this disappear... ••••