Do Cities Need Newspapers?

Greetings to all Summer 2012 Mass Comm 101 students! Welcome to ClubMedianote. Twice a week this summer, Your Humble Blogger will begin the class with a Medianote, a current event that pertains to developments in the media.

Now, on to the first Medianote of the summer...

Do cities need newspapers? That is the question being asked in New Orleans, where the city's daily newspaper, the 175-year-old Times-Picayune, may at least partially cease publication. NPR reports.

After a medianote is presented in class, there are always discussion questions, usually three or four. Here are today's discussion questions...

•Does it matter if New Orleans--or any city--has a daily newspaper? Do newspapers actually do any good?

•Does it matter if a city's daily newspaper is on paper? Is anyone harmed if it is online?

•What sort of stories could go uncovered without a daily newspaper?

•Are newspapers destined to die? What will take their place?