I am a newspaper reader. I like holding the paper and scanning the pages. I look at headlines, photos, graphics, study the ad design. I like being able to jump from topic to topic, read a crime story, read a sports story, read my horoscope, in no particular order. I like newsprint. I like how it feels and I like kicking the paper with my knee to bend back the pages. But newspapers in print are all scaling back in size, pages and distribution. Everyone is moving to a digital format. Young people already do all their news reading on a computer or smart phone. It’s us older fogies that need to adjust.
For years I have written local newspaper columns. When they appear in print I know it immediately because I get stopped in public or I get emails from readers. The responders all seem to be my peers. For the most part they appear older and are definitely newspaper readers.
Since my column has gone digital and does not always appear in the print version of the paper there have been fewer responses. One person asked if I was still writing for the paper. Another said, “I flip through the paper and if I see your photo I’ll read your column.” When I explained that I am still writing the column but they needed to go online to read it they each scoffed, “Oh, I never read the paper online.”
Change is hard for most folks. As we get older it seems even harder. So, do we adapt? Do we try to make the jump to digital? It was a challenge to leave our typewriters to move to a computer but it was worth it, wasn’t it? Jumping to the digital format will be similar. Once you are used to it, it will become normal.
Community newspapers are vital to a community. Whether they are in print or on the internet they are something we need. In very few other places will we see photos and stories about our schools, our local farmers’ market, our service clubs, businesses or our city hall.
Today, information is everywhere but impersonal and unchecked. With our local newspapers we develop a more personal relationship. The writers and editors of local papers must earn our respect. They live among us. Many we see in our daily lives. We learn to trust them and we know their biases. The internet, in general, is not so trustworthy and the motive behind any article is unknown.
We need to keep our community newspapers vital and alive because they are our community.
It concerns me when I hear people say they are canceling their subscription because the paper is now smaller. In reality if they like a printed paper they should be doubling their subscriptions. They should be buying subscriptions for others and even starting a subscription drive. If one wants more newspaper pages then that is what needs to be done. But, that isn’t likely to happen. In lieu of that, we at least need to read the digital version. We need to put more “page views” on the newspaper’s site.
I have doubts about newsprint readers changing but it is possible. We went to one of our favorite restaurants. I know the owner is a newspaper reader. After the usual exchange of greetings she said, as she was showing us to a table, “I just love your column.” I responded, “Thank you, you must read it online.” She brushed off the comment with a wave and said over her shoulder without breaking stride, “Of course, I don’t understand why people are making such a big fuss.”
Gabriel A. Fraire has been a writer more than 45 years. He can be reached through his website at: www.gabrielfraire.com
