Modern day journalism teachers are challenged with the technology of the 21^st century, but surprisingly enough not the teaching or learning of the technology itself.

“My administration insists we produce printed papers,” bemoans Myrna Greenberg, journalism teacher for Plantation (Fla.) High School. “But we end up throwing so many of them away simply because our students aren’t interested in them.”

At least not as interested as they are in their online publication, which records approximately 5,000 hits a month. Compare that to their printed edition, which produces 1,500 copies eight times a year at a cost of $600-$900 per publication.

“That’s not surprising,” said Jason Manning, director of student media at Arizona State University. “Newspapers today use print media for the 45-or-older crowd. It’s easier on the eyes. Online sites are designed for a younger crowd.”

In an economy that is forcing educators to take a hard look at the bottom line, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to justify the cost of printed papers when the internet offers endless space for free. However many schools still produce printed papers because of tradition or an administration that wants them.

“Paper is permanent,” said Jason Susong, platform manager for The Arizona Republic, one of the nation’s 10 leading print newspapers. “Online is instant. You move away from it, it’s out of your mind. But paper never goes away.”

Manning explained, “What you have to do today, what schools must teach students today, is to write for different platforms.”

He quoted Jim Brady of The Washington Post, who said that platform matters. Long, investigative pieces do not lend themselves as well to a visual medium, and a story on an iPad may not work as well on a cellphone.

Manning said it didn’t used to be that way.

“Kids today need to understand that if they want to go into journalism,” he added.

Each platform has its own voice and must find its own audience in order to thrive, so the modern day journalist needs to learn to be versatile and adapt to different types of media including print.

Aaron Manfull, media adviser at Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, Mo., prints 2,100 papers for 1,800 students eight times a year. “It’s a big event at our school,” he said. “We’re still trying to figure out how to use the Web.”

He admitted that more students are using the web for the school news, but the printed paper remains a favorite in his community.

Karla Erdman, journalism adviser at Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pa., prints 1,000 copies for a student body of 2,000. “Interest is increasing,” she said.

But experiences are inconsistent.

“Our paper is actually published inside our hometown paper,” said Becky Bennett, journalism adviser for Bastrop (Texas) High School, adding that most of her students still do not read it and complain about it.

“However, we don’t have an electronic paper or an online presence yet,” she added.

In spite of this, the Republic’s Susong insists printed papers will not go away.

“Print is a physical archive that lasts forever,” he said. “People like that. Advertisers like that.”

He said their online revenue accounted for only a small fraction of the cost of the Republic’s operation.

Manning concurred. “Paper is so popular with advertisers, and continue to be the main revenue for newspapers today,” he said.

He also said that although his online revenue grew substantially last year it still did not grow enough to offset the cost of his total media operation.

“Our online revenue accounts for only 8 percent of our total revenue,” he said.

Manning said that print is still going to be around, but the emphasis in journalism will be multimedia. “Stories will have to be shaped to fit into the different platforms,” he said.

He also pointed out that while there are fewer papers being printed, they are getting them into the hands of more people than ever before.

“It’s a diversifying product,” he said. “Advertisers have more ways of getting their product into the minds of the consumer.”

So an ad will run in the paper, appear as a flier, and run online as a digital product. “It’s a win-win for everybody,” he said.