The Future of the Newspaper

One of the more memorable scenes in the futuristic film Minority Report features Tom Cruise reading a newspaper that changes in real-time - and shows a news report about him.


Now with smart phones dominating the market and newer products like the Kindle coming in to use, that future doesn't seem so far-fetched.

Today at the Associated Press' annual meeting, the news giant announced the Mobile News Network, a service that delivers news formatted for the iPhone and other cellular handsets. Accoring to Associated Press President and CEO Tom Curley:

“The Mobile News Network will provide a national platform for smart phone users to access local content from brands they trust. Members can participate by providing local news that will appear alongside their logos. Importantly, the network also offers a new outlet for members to sell local advertising to the mobile audience.”

This is certainly an interesting opportunity for selling advertising and for those with news to share, but it's one more sign that the traditional newspaper is slowly declining in relevance.