Business
Newspaper Vendors cry out as digital platforms take over jobs

With the rise of digital platforms for disseminating information, newspaper vendors are increasingly losing their jobs and relevance.
As technology continues to advance, accessing news and information has become simpler and more convenient. Traditional media outlets are being sidelined as more readers turn to alternative sources, such as online news websites, social media, news apps, blogs, and podcasts.
Many vendors express concerns that their job opportunities are dwindling. What once sustained them and their families is now being replaced by digital platforms, making it difficult for them to remain profitable.
How are newspaper vendors surviving in this economy?
Coming from the horse’s mouth, it is tough to make a living by selling newspapers in these times; according to Madam Funke Falana, “The business is not going well, but it was quite lucrative three/four years ago, but now the business has tanked, and many people go through the net; a lot of people do not buy Newspapers again.” According to her, for each paper sold, there is a gain of ₦50, but the only good side to it is that she returns the unsold copies except for some papers that don’t accept returns like Punch and Guardians”
For Mrs. Falana to meet her daily needs she has to add selling stationery to make more money and also apart from selling the Newspapers she lets her customers who can’t buy the full papers to read the Newspapers at a discounted price.
Similarly, another vendor, Peter Moses, says there is not much gain in the business as the gain is just ₦50 for each copy sold. “there no much gain because, for one paper, there is only ₦50 gain; before we sell more papers and in this kind of business the more you sell, the more gain you gain” According to him no one can survive with just selling newspapers which is why he sells books alongside newspapers.
However, as newspaper vendors continue to face unprecedented challenges in the harsh economy, coupled with the rise of online platforms for information, some vendors have turned innovative by supplementing their hustle by adding additional services for their customers, such as doorstep delivery and supply to corporate organizations and government establishments.
In recent years the newspaper industry has witnessed a substantial drop in single-copy sales, and advertising revenue as readers increasingly turn to and rely on digital sources for news and information, also the rise of social media platforms has played a significant role in the decline of the newspaper industry.
Furthermore, this decline can also be attributed to the reliance of people on social media platforms for news and news updates, rather than the traditional media as it is more decentralized, democratized, and even relatable.
According to consumers who now depend on using online platforms for information, it is easier to use, more accessible, and you get more out of it. Uzodimma Chika, who spoke to Business Hallmark said, “Social media is what I use daily, so it is easier to use and is more accessible to me. Also, newspapers are getting more outdated these days because, with online media, you get more, that is videos, texts, and pictures, with the same data I use for my daily activities, which are way cheaper than subscribing or buying newspapers.
Uzodimma also noted that newspapers now carry stale news as stories and happenings break online before the print media will get to publish them. “buying newspapers will be of no use to me as most of the stories there are already out online before it gets to the papers”.
But contrary to what others might think a sports enthusiast, Lawrence Oluwa Darasimi, says he prefers getting his sports news from newspapers because he doesn’t really see many online sports news, and he just prefers reading newspapers in general “I don’t really see that many online platforms for sports and although there is, I just prefer reading newspapers because of the reading and the words and there is also a lot of distractions when reading online from the pop-ups and hyperlinks.”
Mr. Oluwa doesn’t think that newspapers will go extinct anytime soon, as he believes that newspapers are more reliable and well-written than online sources; he also notes that even with the online competition there are still a lot of people who do not have access to these online platforms and will always rely on newspapers to know what is going on around them.