I think the instant news cycle is a bigger factor than X-rays and film. One is much more likely to lose images because of a data/storage problem than from X-rays. But now, photographers reporting from the field have to get images edited and up and ready for print and the web ideally within hours of when they were taken to be newsworthy and commercially viable. For that kind of reporting, there just isn't time to scan film. After 48 hours, it isn't news. For longer term documentary projects, it's a different story.
You're exactly right. I have to have stuff in either next day or immediately. It is the time factor that has killed film for photojournalism. Also, departments are caring less and less about good photography. They want you to be able to write, take photographs, shoot video and use social media. One of my journalism instructors had us use Twitter during assignments. During one assignment, I was taking photos. recording audio, writing and posting on Twitter.
We had an incident between a frat house and occupy protesters. I turned in the photo that day, 30 mins after it happened. It was supposed to run next day but didn't. When I saw the newsstand I was both furious and horrified. A photo of the protest earlier with fewer people and nothing going was on the cover. We ran it the next day. It happened on Tuesday, we ran it Thursday.
By then it was already old news. Everyone had seen it because someone with an Iphone took photos and posted them on Facebook. Then through re-posting and word of mouth, the local broadcast stations found out about it and it was all over from then on. Our newspaper had been scooped because of a poor editorial decision. The frat had already been sanctioned for their actions and the controversy was over. Even if we had ran it Wednesday. People would have already seen it because of the immediacy of smartphones and social media.
There just isn't time anymore. I am truly afraid for my future profession.
