RICHARD ORD: Why I trust Ridley Scott on the future of newspapers

Among his dystopian futureworld ideas in the movie Blade Runner he predicts flying cars, murderous robots and humans colonising distant planets. But how do the people in this hi-tech future get their news? Why, the newspaper of course.

To my kids, seeing Harrison Ford as replicant hunter Rick Deckard reading a newspaper is probably the most far-fetched part of the movie.

Yeah, we’ll have flying cars, worker robots that are virtually indistinguishable from humans and farming on the moon… but still reading newspapers?!? You’re having a laugh.

If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll remember the flying cars and killer robots, but you may have missed the farming on the moon. We only really know about that because it’s headline news in The Independent Sentinel which Deckard is reading at the start of the movie.

If Ridley Scott believes newspapers still have a future then that’s good enough for me. My career may depend on it.

I’ve always had a soft spot for seeing newspapers in movies. A particular favourite is the discarded newspaper seen blowing about at the start of the zombie apocalypse flick Day of the Dead.

The simple, straightforward and attention-grabbing headline is ‘The Dead Walk!’

I’d buy a copy. Not sure that the headline really needs the exclamation mark (the words leap out as they are) but it works for me.

For those who devour their news online, the headline would probably have been a little longer and aimed at capturing as many viewers as possible.

Here’s my suggestion: The Dead Walk and Then Eat the Brains of the Living Putting Saturday’s Premier League Games In Jeopardy. That’d get people talking.

I then find myself wondering what else they put in the paper. I mean, a plague of the undead trying to devour every living being is the front page story, but in other news…

Bet the letters page would be interesting.

For the record, if the dead did walk, once I’d found a safe place (I hear tree houses are pretty zombie-proof) I’d still try and lighten the mood for you with a newspaper column or two. It’s the paper boys I worry about.

Anyway, I rewatched Blade Runner (made in 1982) and was shocked to discover that it is set in 2019. Five years ago! I then went and watched Scott’s follow up, Blade Runner 2049. No newspapers. Gulp!