I like to think of myself as a somewhat humble person, but when I read this article from Match 10, 2016, about The New York Times launching a television website (whatever that is), I had to retrieve a portion of a column I wrote way back in February of 2007 – yes, 2007!

2/28/07

As the article below indicates, more and more web sites are offering video, thanks in large part to the ease with which people can embed content from places like YouTube into a web page.

“NYT to Post Users’ Videos on Web Site”
For the first time, The New York Times will begin posting user-generated videos on its Web site.

By Mike Shields for Mediaweek
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003548945

But this begs the question: At what point does a news web site like The New York Times cease being a newspaper’s online manifestation and instead become a direct competitor to one such as ABC News or MSNBC?  The very definition of a newspaper is being completely remade to accommodate the realities and possibilities of the Internet.  In fact, some believe (such as myself) that the days of print newspapers (and magazines, for that matter) are numbered, although in years, maybe even decades.  With the addition of video to many web sites, the merging of media continues and portends a landscape that will put all the media outlets in head-to-head competition for essential advertising dollars.  The days of true broadcasting are numbered, with the exception of events like the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards.