Did I miss something?

The Pew Report we were advised to read provided information about the decline of newspaper and magazine readership and the growth of technology as a means for people to get their information.  Okay, I get that.  In reading the report, however, I didn't find any explanation for the shift.  Are people tired of the newspaper ink transferring to fingers and clothing?  Do they not want to pay for their news anymore?  It surprises me that there wasn't any exploration of the "whys" in the article.

On a personal note, I also felt that much of the report was rather inaccessible to a reader (that would be me) with limited exposure to technology and the inner workings of various media.  This is an example of the text of the Pew Report:
" Most newspapers are still profitable on an operating basis, the net margins—after interest, taxes and special charges—are razor-thin. And most papers achieved profitability largely through cutting.  (Cutting what?  Jobs?  Costs? The size of the paper itself?) The year also brought with it more papers embracing the idea of a pay wall.  (What is this?) The New York Times and roughly 150 other newspapers have instituted variations on the so-called metered model  (What is this?) that The New York Times uses."

I'm not sure I've been this befuddled in a classroom since, as an undergraduate, I had to read Michel Foucault.  I'm going to need the help of my classmates on this one.  Did I miss something?  Oh yeah.