A few conversations into a rollicking dinner party last Saturday, news of Whitney Houston’s death interrupted.
But how?
The flat-screen television hanging over the fireplace in the living room was dark.
The radio — assuming there was one — was silent.
No one was surfing the web at a computer tucked in the far corner of the kitchen.
But the sad news broke through anyway.
Upon hearing it from one of the other guests, I pulled the smartphone from my pocket and glanced at a breaking news alert: “Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies.”
Click. Load. Learn.
News, as the cliche reminds us, has always traveled fast. And, largely as a result of mobile devices, it’s moving (some would say “finding us”) faster than ever.
The Associated Press first tweeted news of the pop diva’s death last Saturday at 5:57 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. It was in my hands, — which had been clutching nothing more than beer bottles and hors d’oeuvres since about 5:30 p.m. — less than 10 minutes later.
Curious to find out how other people came across one of the year’s big stories, I asked friends and random strangers a simple question this week: “When and how did you find out about Whitney Houston’s death?”
After initial reactions that tried (unsuccessfully) to hide their suspicions (“Gee, he doesn’t strike me as a Whitney fan”), I found that I was in good company. I’m guessing half of the people I’ve asked learned of the singer’s death via a mobile device or tablet.
Now, I move in circles where people are especially attuned to news and information, but it illustrates a larger point: mobile news is surging faster than, oh, I don’t know, Rick Santorum, Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow. Combined.
As a result of my chosen profession, people regularly ask whether I think the print product will disappear.
“As long as someone doesn’t figure out a way to make it easier to read a computer than a sports section while you’re in the bathroom, you’ll still have ‘the paper'” had been my practiced response.
Well, flush that idea.
The next time you’re in a public restroom, have a listen.
In a highly unscientific survey in the The Denver Post’s sixth-floor men’s research lavatory, buzzes, beeps and the clicking of keypads were nearly as prevalent as the crackle of turning pages. (Keep this in mind the next time you think about borrowing someone’s smartphone, by the way.)
So I’m not even going to try and tell you whether — or how much longer — news will continue to be printed on paper (I will always love you, dead wood edition).
What I do know is that there is at least one thing on Earth multiplying faster than Duggars.
By 2016, there will be more mobile devices on the planet (10 billion) than people (7.3 billion), according to a study released last week by Cisco Systems Inc. And within the next four years, Morgan Stanley estimates, more people will access the Internet via mobile devices than from desktop PCs.
You may think I find that upsetting. Far from it.
It’s clear that people want news, and that they value institutions with a history and commitment to journalism. And, for perhaps the first time, my news organization is on footing equal to or greater than that of television and radio when it comes to breaking news.
So I’m excited about what mobile will do to this industry.
Yes, the Internet is shaking things up. But if it means you can get news (and opinion!) from The Denver Post in the middle of a dinner party, while watching television or your kid’s soccer game, or even during a visit to the restroom, I see it as an untapped opportunity.
Follow Curtis Hubbard on Twitter: @curtishubbard
