The death of newspapers?

Interesting media event at the North West Institute last week -
Professor Roy Greenslade said he agreed with predictions of the death of newspapers. Already struggling to compete with the net, they've been hit by a tsunami in the face of the recession which has slashed advertising.
David McKittrick of the Independent reckoned he and the cat are just keeping the heads down and trying to avoid the worst of it. Still filing the copy and hoping for the best.
Deric Henderson of the Press Association said he still prizes capable reporters (complete with good shorthand).
Roy is probably closest to the changes, what with lecturing at third-level on newspapers, doing his Guardian blog, his contacts and his visits here and there.
These are certainly challenging, very challenging, times for papers, not least because of the high amounts paid to build up the local newspaper empires in recent years. Family firms, not loaded down with debt, were probably better equipped to batten down the hatches, sustain quality and jobs and wait for better times. Most of these family newspaper businesses have been bought out across Ireland and Britain.
Here in the North West, there are more local papers being read than ever before, given the proliferation of titles. Take the Journal's readership area - in recent years we've had new entrants in the Derry News Monday and Thursday, the County Times, the County Derry Post, Local Women, the Inishowen Independent, the Inish Times and others, not to mention our own Sunday Journal and Foyle News.
I'm inclined to go with Ray Tindle on the prospects for the local scene. Papers may go to the wall, but there will remain a demand for local news and advertising, and new and existing newspaper businesses will be sustained on the back of that. I don't think online will fill that need. See -
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=43458&c=1