Post Scripts: Newspapers

In the not so fancy house I grew up in, my mother, my dad and I, all competed to see who got to read the news section in The Kansas City Star and Times first (morning and evening in those days) rain or shine. I remember studying the pictures in "the paper" every day and I knew that Christmas was not far away when pictures and illustrations of Santa began to appear in the advertisements.

I heard my dad mumble and curse at the headlines now and then. He would sometimes become agitated at what he had read in the newspaper and often stand up reading it. This I fancied was what it meant to be grown-up. You could eat your food standing up leaning against the washing machine while reading the news. Those were happy days for me even though we were considered members of the poorer class.

I am so happy I got to live during the time newspapers were vital in nearly every household. Words on paper are still preferable to me even though many newspapers, both great and small, have fallen by the wayside since the advent of television. I enjoy TV without question but I never want to exist on this planet without a daily newspaper whose news and features are vital to my entertainment and continuing education. Newspapers are the only public media left that can provide important news in depth without being interrupted by blaring and often boring commercials.

Now and then I become aware of just how much the consolidation of so many newspapers, along with a few that simply died from inefficiency and boredom, has reduced the impact of the printed word as contrasted to the immediacy and slickness of the TV screen. It is my opinion we will always have daily and weekly newspapers because no other medium can supply the satisfaction and detailed opinion that the printed media supplies.

Try putting your cat litter on the rug or linoleum with a TV commercial. Try to find out when the area movie theater opens on your TV screen. Want to clip out an item about a friend’s funeral service? It won’t be shown on the five o’clock news. Oh yes, you can’t wrap glassware heirlooms in a NBC special.

Okay, things are tough in numerous newspaper situations. Conditions for newspapers have changed for some but good newspapers will survive. Even a few major newspapers are hurting because of declining advertising revenues and sloppy news coverage. As one example, The Philadelphia Inquirer is an example, having just laid off around 70 employees only a few months after being purchased by a local group of businessmen.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is another big daily that has found itself in trouble and recently sold in reduced circumstances and sold at a reduced price to a private equity group. This situation will likely not change as newer generations will not see this newspaper situation changing much, if any. Far too many people are much too busy to take time to read "the paper" each and every morning.

Of course I am aware that some editors and publishers of poor newspapers have brought a lot of this misery on themselves. The old days are gone when a slovenly, ill-edited newspaper can survive because most folks are so tied down in work, social schedules and family concerns, they refuse to bother with careless, slovenly journalism. Even for smaller newspapers, lackadaisical effort in news-gathering and lack of typographical excellence are more telling than one might think.

Fortunately, most weekly newspapers appear to be in better shape financially than a number of daily newspapers.