New Deserts: Through the Lens of the Diffusion Theory

     The diffusion of innovations is the theory explaining how and why new ideas spread and mature the way they do. Newspapers and local news outlets have shaped our society today, but with those companies on the decline, I would like to look into the diffusion of local reporting. People began getting their news from their local papers and watching the local news even on TV. Now, since there is so much information at our fingertips on the internet, we don't need to go through the process of going out and getting a paper copy. It made it easier and faster to access reports, but it did bring in untrustworthy sources and dangerous surveillance operations that most people disregard. 

We never had to worry about these issues here when we were dealing with paper. These issues do push people away, mostly older people who only used paper their entire life. These older people who are comfortably accustomed to classic ways and have no interest are considered the laggers. On the other side, those who have used it religiously and have since the beginning are early adopters. 

Diffusion of Innovations 

The critical mass phase for all local news companies was in the 1990s when around 85% of the world had easy access to local news outlets. After its peak, in around 2004, the numbers have dropped tremendously and have been constantly at a concerning rate. The shift from paper to online caused this decline, causing so many news deserts to pop up all over the country. If I were to guess, I would say now in 2022, the internet is in its saturation phase, as there is a literal never-ending amount of sources we can get information from. 
 
The intent has had its positive and negative effects on this world. Yes, we can communicate with anon in the world whether we want with the click of a button. With such freedom comes a large responsibility to use to intent in a smart and safe manner. A lot of information out there is biased or false, which means each person has to be cautious of what they do and how they listen to.