Convenient

Trotter (2011) reported about the launch of Rupert Murdoch’s new iPad-only-newspaper on Feb. 2 highlights the transition of news from the traditional “hold and fold” format to the Internet. 

This announcement of yet another digital news provider is a testament to the continuing decline of print media readership in the United States, as younger generations prefer to consume their news online and share stories on Facebook.

Owing to the power and adaptability of the iPad, subscribers can interact with the publication by purchasing apps that feature in the review pages or appear in advertisements. Users can also customize pages to fit their preferences. This can be attributed to Bernhardt (1986), who says that as the physical fact of the text is vital to the readers, its visual apprehension has to be seen, which is different from the perception of speech. Typography, structure, and usage of white space are all seen as essential elements to creating a page that is both attractive and interesting to readers.

Introducing The Daily, a more convenient and a cheaper option.  

Of course, not everyone agrees with the shift to digital format, with some student sharing varying opinions. Some find the iPad newspaper a cheaper and more convenient option while others reject the thought of reading from a tablet. Others dislike reading from both the iPad and the newspaper, instead opting to browse articles on desktop computers. This boils down to Walsh's (2006) belief that different 'modes' of a design represent different meanings to different audiences, and what one design may appeal to a group of people, may not to another. Furthermore, reading off a book versus a tablet involves different levels of decoding and interpretation may or may not suit the needs of every reader.

The only thing that seems certain for now is that further decline in newspaper circulation will continue as news consumption transitions online, with no media organization appearing to resist this change.

Reference Lists:

Bernhardt, S.A. 1986, ‘Seeing the Text’, College Composition and Communication, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 66-78, viewed 15 November 2011, <http://www.jstor.org/stable/357383 >

Trotter, C. 2011, iPad-only newspaper furthers media trend, the Cento, viewed 15 November 2011, <http://www.thecento.com/news/2011/feb/17/ipad-only-newspaper-furthers-media-trend/>

Walsh, M. 2006, ‘Textual shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts,” Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol.29, no.1, p.24-37