NEWSPAPER OF 1943

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 October 1933, Page 3

NEWSPAPER OF 1943

MORE SALES—LESS NEWS

The newspaper of ten years hence will be one of ideas. When wireless news bulletins of greater length and frequency than to-day have skimmed the cream of the news between the late evening papers and midnight the news side will be of little account, (writes John Chester in a London Trade Journal). A few enterprising concerns will probably issue later editions of evening newspapers up to supper timedelivered from door to door —but the morning papers will be more concerned with comment, explanation and the spread of views and ideas. The leading article'will come into its own again. In the “quality papers it will be longer and more comprehensive, in the “popular” dailies there v, ill’bo at least a page of short leaders and leaderettes covering all the news. Contrary to general opinion, there will ho fewer pictures rather than more. The colour craze will have come and gone. It will have been ousted by television, as common in 1943 as radio to-day. The ordinary "still.” many hours old, will not be able to compete with up-to-the-minute pictures which will be available in every home.

Thus, as the two most expensive factors in the production of present day newspapers—news gathering and picture reproduction—will have been eliminated there will probably he many more papers actually owned by small groups and individuals and used as the organs of local communities and different schools of thought and ideas.

This variety of reading matter will be increased by the development of air and other forms of transport which will make tor the internationalisation of the Press; American papers will be on sale here within a few hours of local publications. Thus while circulations will be smaller they will be more widespread. Being less costly the 1943 newspaper will be less dependent on advertisers, although the development of radio, television and other devices will not altogether eliminate Press advertising. If, however, the advertiser is to keep up with the growth of the ideas of lhe paper be will have Io bo more subtle and more up-to-date in his layouts. lie will have to appeal to smaller groups of readers, but in a greater number of papers, and the advertising agency will thus be a greater force than ever before—that is if agencies rise to their opportunities.