Give me the news — on paper
Columnist Chris Erskine of the Los Angeles Times has become a trusted friend in recent years, although we’ve never actually met. Reading his funny, family-themed columns has become a habit for me as I sip my morning coffee. Some people like sugar and cream with their brew, but I prefer a daily dose of Erskine.
Long before this reading became a morning habit, I had a fondness for the Houston Chronicle’s Morris Frank and Leon Hale. Those talented writers helped connect me with the world at large with their personal and humane reflections on daily life.
Yes, I’m probably out of step these days with most folks, as American readers are slowly abandoning the traditional print version of the news, opting instead for online access.
When a young friend of mine catches me with my head buried in the sports section, she loves to tease me with , “So, I see you’re once again catching up on yesterday’s news.”
Let’s face it, these days most people get their information from cable news and, to a lesser extent, network news, whose influence has diminished in recent decades. Social media, such as Facebook, have become the major source of news and information for more and more Americans — and you wonder why the country is in such turmoil?
As I sit in my local
cafe each morning, I notice that I’m usually the only person reading a newspaper. Most of the other customers are reading their phones.
My love of newspapers began at an early age. When I was a young boy, I raced down the driveway each Sunday morning for the Chronicle, so I could retrieve the “funny papers” and then listen to my favorite comic strips being read on the radio.
I loved reading the sports section for my favorite college and professional football teams and then calling friends to share the stories with them.
These fond memories make it even sadder to acknowledge the shrinking number of daily newspapers across the country. Digital technology has taken an unforgiving toll on all of print media. Newsroom staffs are being slashed due to decreased advertising revenue, resulting in steadily declining page counts.
My own early interest in newspapers led me to pursue a career in journalism. My college journalism professor demanded dedication in pursuit of accuracy on each assignment, such that I hold the newsgathering profession in much higher regard than those leading the current wave of cynicism and doubt about media.
Here’s hoping that we never forget the important role newspapers still play — whether in print or digital form — in informing us about vital issues that affect our lives. Through the years, newspapers have contributed to elevating our quality of life by informing and entertaining us, and reminding us of our common connections and fundamental humanity.
I’m certainly not dismissing the importance of the digital world. But for many of us, enjoying the tactile experience of holding the printed word in hand is a habit that never grows old. Laugh if you will, but when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll be racing down my driveway to retrieve my newspaper, just like that young boy of long ago.
OK, “racing” might be an overstatement these days. Strolling is actually closer to the truth. But either way, I’m counting on that paper being there for years to come.