"The Paper" Movie Analyzed

In the movie “The Paper”, there are a slew of issues concerning the Collegian’s future.  The main worry for the paper is its future.  Decreasing circulation and increased issues with the newspaper’s investigative reporting has resulted in a decline of interest in the paper. 

“The Paper” was an eye-opening documentary that gave an inside look into the major struggles of student journalists and even newspapers in general.  It was very telling about the “downward spiral” that newspapers and print media are on and how it is a “dying” news medium. 

In the movie, the team brainstorms ways to reach young students with invoking topics such as fashion, gossip and relationships.  Their main goal: to reach a wider array of students. They asked themselves, what is it that young people want to read and what actually affects them? Yet even with the new approach, the paper still seemed to decline.  “Maybe it is just too bold.” Editor-in-Chief James Young said. 

“Circulation has decreased even more,” Young said. “I just don’t think we’re covering anything that people want to read.”

This constant struggle to appease the masses definitely took its toll on James Young, the ex-Editor-in-Chief. After college and the Collegian, he labored at a small newspaper for two years.  However he ended his career in the journalism field shortly after and moved into urban revitalization.

“Now I think about traffic circulation instead of worrying about newspaper circulation.” Young said.