layout to payout

I don't think anyone who has been paying attention to the news, and especially the news of the news, can deny the flailing death of print media. It is, in my opinion, a terrible shame. Having participated in all four years of my higschool newspaper, "The Bluffer" I have a certain fondness for print journalism. There is something special about the art of laying out a page, of mixing words and graphics, an art that has existed and grown from the time of the printing press. It has brought both good new and bad to the people of the world. But now it is a dying media. The printed word is being replaced by pixels.
Design is a huge part of what makes media marketable. Not just in the sense of flashy graphics or glossy editorials but even the lack of perceived design. Would the "Wall Street Journal" be taken seriously if they splattered some large graphics in neon colors.
Design is what determines a publication, it determines the style the vibe and the readership that will be paying for this media. When media is so readily assessable for free online that is the most important part. Who will pay for the same thing that they can get for free? That is where the impact of design really comes into play.
For print media to stay viable in the 21st century it must find a niche market, and pander shamelessly to this group. They must harness design to work for them, to sell their product. This is not a new concept by any means but is becoming more and more relevant as the power of the internet steadily grows. Not that this should be at the loss of content because I believe that both content and design need to exist cohesively to be considered good design.