Are Graphic Designers Killing Newspapers?

Newspapers are doomed to die, according to recent preductions, and be replaced by brave new technological news. Even news executives argue that they're no longer in the newspaper business; they're in the information business. This analogy saps journalism of the central passion that made newspapers: ink and paper. The fate of journalism then falls into the hands of information specialists and designers, the confectioners needed to make dry information. Rather than news, these professionals value other things. Typographers respect books and make newspapers look more book-like. Illustrators aspire to make art posters of news. Designers of "infographics" admire Minard and page designers emulate Mondrian. The consequences are visible: newspapers that look beautiful but can't hold as much news about ordinary people. Without room for a more diverse public, newspapers will die. Paper and ink are the key to the ritual of news reading. Paper news contributes to the collective memory in ways digital forms cannot, at least not yet.* El periódico