If you listen to the standard Brandeis journalism professor, young people today are uninformed, apathetic and totally uninterested in the world around us. Their proof? Print newspaper readership is on the decline.
OK, I admit it: I'm part of that terrible statistic that says that 74 percent of Americans age 18 to 34 don't read newspapers regularly-in fact I don't think I've ever physically bought a copy of a newspaper. And yet I am certain that I want to be a journalist. What does this mean for the future of newspapers? Will the structure of American journalism-built on both its readers and its writers-crumble under the high-paced pressures of the connected world? Will the new generation's need for speed leave thoughtful analysis lagging breathlessly behind?

Journalism professors seem to think so-but as ominous as the statistics may appear, the outlook for American journalism isn't as bad as it looks. Some basic logic from Economics 101 suggests that we needn't worry-American journalism is not in peril, unless our generation wants it to be.

As in any competitive industry, it all comes down to supply and demand. Newspaper editors are beginning to realize that the onus lies on them to understand what it is that their readers what. Although the disenchanted may point to sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll-along with flashy pictures and big writing-as the only way to attract their so-called "light" readership (that's what they call us), research suggests otherwise. According to a recent study by leading newspaper editors, the top items of interest for younger readers were health and fitness, investigative reports on important issues, the environment, natural disasters/accidents and education.

It looks as though-contrary to popular belief-young people do care about things that matter. Brandeis itself is great example: The Student Activities Department recently stopped providing free newspapers to the campus because it thought that students weren't reading them. After considerable outcry on the part of the student body, the Brandeis bookstore now sells major papers. According to staff there, they sell out within hours.

Although there is something pleasing about holding a paper copy of the news, couldn't all the functions of newspapers-down to the intricacies of A1 layout-be achieved online, with technology that's a bit more sophisticated?

There has perhaps never been a more nearly perfect supply- and demand-driven marketplace than the Internet. Just as buyers on eBay assign a value to each product up for sale, readers rate news articles constantly by the number of times they visit each page. As rating systems improve, the creators of sites will know precisely the combination of articles, pictures, sound bites and videos that will attract the most viewers.

The question is, what will America demand? When faced with so many choices, will Americans flock to tabloidlike sites for entertainment, or will they insist on journalistic excellence?

If a high quality of news coverage is fundamental to American society-if the demand for truth and accuracy is great enough-supply will inevitably follow. For better or for worse, the journalism of the upcoming century, fueled by the power of the Internet, should give Americans exactly what they want.