Newspaper Industry in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis and the Digital Era: Exploring Their Coexistence

Abstract

Digital technology in the 21st century has significantly impacted almost every aspect of commerce, education, health, economy, tourism, aviation, etc. The newspaper industry in Ghana has also had its fair share of digital evolution in terms of readership and sales from the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis. A cursory survey revealed that the selected newspapers (Ghanaian Chronicles, Ghanaian Times, New Crusading Guide, The Finder) experienced low sales and readership among clients in the twin city for several years. The study's main aim was to assess the impact of public sales and readership on the selected newspapers in the Sekondi/Takoradi metropolis and the digital era. A qualitative approach was adopted to gain a fuller understanding of how print and digital media coexist in the metropolis. In terms of the research techniques, the interview and questionnaire were used to acquire the essential data for the study. A total of 56 respondents participated in the questionnaire, while 5 main industry stakeholders participated in the interview session. The results emerged with a significant shift towards digital media consumption by participants. Among others, some recommendations have been made to industry players to stay in business.