When the Titanic sank in the year 1912, word of all the wreckage did not surface until citizens picked up their newspaper the next morning. At 10:45p.m. on May 1, 50 minutes before the president even addressed the nation, my Twitter feed exploded with updates. Within minutes, it seemed as if everyone knew the news, whether from the Internet, a text message or an interruption during the “Celebrity Apprentice.”

Major recent events, from the earthquakes in Japan in early April to the royal wedding just weeks after to Osama bin Laden’s death on May 1, illustrate the undeniable power of modern-day news. That night, according to recently released Twitter statistics, the social media site experienced its “highest sustained rate of Tweets ever,” boasting an average of 3,440 tweets per second between 10:45 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., peaking at 5,106 around 11 p.m.

Not only do these numbers indicate an enormous public interest in the event, but they also suggest that citizens still have a voracious appetite for news, regardless of what form of media it stems from.

As information is broadcast online quicker than ever before, the traditional newspaper seems to have rendered itself useless. That, however, is not entirely true. While online news media has become en vogue, reading styles have not changed. For readers looking for an in-depth story, newspapers continue to provide the primary outlet for that information. The quick and instantly gratifying nature of online media lends itself to information blurbs, as individuals are likely to lose interest or search elsewhere, indicated by the short turnaround time people spend on individual websites. According to Nielsen Online, user attention on the top news and recent event websites only averaged between seven and 24 minutes in 2010. Each media form inarguably has its own charms.

Although I firmly pledged my allegiance to newspapers long ago, I am wholeheartedly behind the current news revolution. To me, the act of sitting down to breakfast and flipping through the morning paper will never lose its nostalgia. In that same vein, the journalist in me cannot help but marvel at the speed with which breaking news spreads given the wired nature of today’s society.

Within the last few months, major news events have highlighted the true evolution of journalism, transforming from giant blocks of text on yellow-tinged paper to constantly updating news briefs accompanied by pictures, videos and graphics. Within minutes of the tornadoes in Alabama, news outlets rushed to gather as much information as possible. Readers from around the globe watched the events play out as those in the midst of the storm sent in pictures of the storm and its aftermath through email or posted them on a social networking site.

Journalism is very much a collaborative effort. Whether that effort is between online and print media or media outlets and citizens, readers are the ones who ultimately benefit. Despite changing methods of gathering and reporting information, newsworthy events continue to push the journalistic revolution forward, increasing perspectives and easing accessibility.

While traditional newspapers may continue to struggle, the need and desire for news is thriving. As journalism continuously evolves in the coming years, I will always have a place in my heart for newspaper pages covered in tiny Times New Roman type. And, as a journalist, I sincerely hope that the public can appreciate just how much work goes into reporting the news, no matter the medium.

And to all of our readers this year; thank you for both making and keeping up with the news we reported on this year. I am so grateful to have had this experience with the HiLite and hope that you all (seniors–you can keep up with CHS news on hilite.org after you leave, don’t worry) continue to search for and contribute to the news, regardless of where the journalistic revolution ends up.

Over and out.