“Globalization must be met with a counter-globalization.”~Micahel Hardt and Antonio Negri.
The world is going/ has gone global. There is nothing that anyone can to stop it. I can have immediate news from half way around the world as easily as I can find news from my own city. As Thomas Friedman has said, the world is flat. At the same time as this happens, the newspapers have something that the internet would be hard press to provide. It is the local effect. 
Over the past 2 weeks, the Wichita Eagle and other local news sources have followed the local tragic story of a mom and 4 year old girl who were killed by a drunk driver. While stories like this happen across the world on a daily basis, they never have the same impact as when it happens so close. By streets you know or maybe to people you know. In some way, there is a closer connection than when it happens across the country or even around the world. The aftermath affects you because people make a push to change laws to protect people in your community. In many cases, it brings people together. This is what local news provides. They give those stories and information that are not going to be headlines news across the world. They have that local effect that the internet or other electronic media are not able to provide. They are able to find those people close to the victims and the place of the tragedy that gives the story that extra sense of sadness that the internet cannot provide. So while the world becomes more globalized, more interconnected, or “flat”, I am glad that there are still local news sources to give those stories that the internet will never be able provide. They still give voices to local tragedies that we can all wish had never happened in the first place.
Over the past 2 weeks, the Wichita Eagle and other local news sources have followed the local tragic story of a mom and 4 year old girl who were killed by a drunk driver. While stories like this happen across the world on a daily basis, they never have the same impact as when it happens so close. By streets you know or maybe to people you know. In some way, there is a closer connection than when it happens across the country or even around the world. The aftermath affects you because people make a push to change laws to protect people in your community. In many cases, it brings people together. This is what local news provides. They give those stories and information that are not going to be headlines news across the world. They have that local effect that the internet or other electronic media are not able to provide. They are able to find those people close to the victims and the place of the tragedy that gives the story that extra sense of sadness that the internet cannot provide. So while the world becomes more globalized, more interconnected, or “flat”, I am glad that there are still local news sources to give those stories that the internet will never be able provide. They still give voices to local tragedies that we can all wish had never happened in the first place.
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I completely agree with you!!! Actually I started similar topic on my blog printvsonline.wordpress.com. I heard so many times that, even though technology develops, the content will still be what matters the most. Internet is global in its nature, so the readers will look for a spot where they can get all of the local news. If the newspapers realize that they will have a good chance to revive its readership base and numbers. At least I hope!
[...] Kevin Alfaro couldn’t be more to the point: As Thomas Friedman has said, the world is flat. At the same time as this happens, the newspapers have something that the internet would be hard press to provide. It is the local effect. [...]
You’re absolutely right, and for this reason, journalism will always be necessary. Since the beginning of news, the public has always relied on news media to tell them what’s going on around them, how it affects them, and what resolutions will take place; if any. There are no powers that can eliminate the impact that news has on consumers. In good times and in bad times, the public consumes news as it is reported by the media. News, especially local news, meets that desire for engagement to events and issues. Although internet has served as a great source for information about what’s going on beyond city lines, local news gives people a sense of governorship to what is of importance as it directly affects the local consumer. Without local news, we would not know urgency, could not garner massive numbers to hold those in power accountable, and lack prominences to offer empathy.
I also generally agree. My reservation comes in wondering if people in the future have any desire to ‘connect’ with people who are local to them.
I often see or read stories about people who are far from me and wonder why the story is getting so much attention: stories about a woman in Florida who may have killed her child, a story about Leona Babbitt who cut off her husband’s penis, the escapades of Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears or a story about a man who died in the Mediterranean on a cruise ship. None of these stories are particularly unique, they don’t involve large numbers of people and they have no local connection to anyone but a handful of people. Even so, each generated a huge amount of news coverage. Was it because each of these stories was during a slow news day? – I don’t think so. I believe each story received attention because people today are more interested in being titillated than being informed of the issues.
Meanwhile in Wichita USA we have had eight children killed by ‘unnatural’ causes this year. Most of these killings have had a very short media play. Perhaps because these deaths didn’t involve anyone rich or famous they didn’t get much coverage. Maybe because they weren’t picked up by the national media they died quiet deaths. Nonetheless, I don’t see how eight babies dying are less important than a man losing his penis or Brittany getting a haircut.
The news media of the future will continue generating these sensational stories as long as they receive readership. There are already a large number of media outlets feeding this frenzy and I am certain in the future there will be many more. As I become more cynical, in a more cynical era, I am deeply disturbed this kind of media is so popular. How can I/we change the priorities of the American public? – I don’t think we have that power. As long as media decide to pander to the lowest emotions of the public stories will continue to be published. I don’t believe the ‘public’ cares (and will care even less in the future) if the story is local. I feel people will feel ‘flattened’ and that an event in Bangor will stir similar feeling to an event occurring in their own locale.
But, I digress. Yes – local media is important. Yes – I like having a local newspaper. However, I can, and will, read local stories such as the one mentioned on-line. I feel confident that even if the local paper disappears, we will still have local stories provided by local media/reporters in whatever incarnation takes the place of newspapers.