The end of an era: No more printed paper newspapers at Mercyhurst

Megan McKay, Staff writer

Printed newspapers are becoming obsolete and The Merciad is among the many newspapers worldwide that are going fully online. The days of printed newspapers are coming to an end thanks to the efficient role of technology. Digitally communicating information is a cheaper and much faster alternative which makes it all the more appealing. The extinction of physical pieces of information is a sign of the changing times as new generations are more indulged in technology than ever. Just as many students prefer pen and paper when notetaking, or a hard copy book when reading, I would prefer the same when reading articles in the newspaper. The news of the Merciad going all online is definitely sad because printed newspapers have always been such a unique form of gathering information. The feeling of holding the crisp newsprint masked with the color soy ink will be indescribable for future generations.New media has taken over the communication realm, especially with the ease of access to social media. Journalists and news outlets have had to majorly adjust to the digitalized age to broadcast relevant information. However, replacing the printing of The Merciad will clearly become much more of an environmentally friendly and cheaper alternative for spreading the news. The features will still be available to the Mercyhurst community and is easier than ever to access on readers’ cell phones. The ending of the printed Merciad has been a result of the change in demand for the printing industry. Older Americans have been the backbone of newspaper’s loyalty and unfortunately a new wave is taking over the realm. According to USNews, “The United States continues to see newspapers die at the rate of two per week.” Even though it is tragic that the era is ending, it is very interesting to note how much the communications industry has flourished. Newspapers have been around since 59 B.C. when the Ancient Romans published the Acta Diurna, or daily doings which made up chronicles of events, assemblies, births, deaths and daily gossip. From being chiseled in stone, to the creation of daily gazettes and news sheets, newspapers were always considered a special way to inform and connect people over the world. Before the printing press was invented the primary source of news was word of mouth but newspapers have been etched in history. Even though the Mercyhurst community will not be seeing the printed physical forms around campus they can still find all the information they need on the Merciad social media accounts and website: merciad.mercyhurst.edu.Writers for the Merciad take their time to write meaningful pieces for the love of journalism. Just because newspapers will no longer be in circulation as much as they used to be doesn’t mean news is not as relevant. The mere fact is just as children grow into adults, newspapers have grown from black and white, to typed ink papers, to video rich podcasts and social media platforms. I encourage all readers to continue to support.