THE Census Bureau tells us The Average American now spends 4.4 hours a day watching TV, 2.9 hours listening to the radio and only 27 minutes reading a newspaper. The question is which medium will suffer when The Average American is spending time and money online, too? Press still turns,
ink still flowsThe revolution in information technology has people calling newspapers the buggy whips of the 21st century. Working at one that's mired in Hawaii's economic mud sometimes tempts us to think they're right.
Then, I get an e-mail from a guy with a website who wants to advertise in starbulletin.com, our online paper. His reason: When he puts an ad in the regular newspaper it's too effective and he's swamped with customers. Could there be life in the old medium still?
Indeed, there is. The Newspaper Association of America reported this week that newspaper advertising revenue for the first three quarters of 1997 grew 8.9 percent year over year to $29.3 billion ''as the strong economy fueled more local ads.'' That's nationally, not in Hawaii.
Last year, NAA said, 21.8 percent of advertising dollars were spent with newspapers while 20.7 percent went to broadcasters. This year, newspapers' lead is expected to widen.
Television didn't kill movies or radio and films haven't wiped out books. Far from demolishing the print medium, the Internet has sold millions of books, magazines and newspapers.
Buggywhip? Now, just hold your horses!