Would you notice if your daily newspaper disappeared?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
There are plenty of contenders, but San Francisco might become the first major American city without a daily newspaper. The San Francisco Chronicle continues to lay off staffers in an attempt to stay afloat. The city's mayor, Gavin Newsom tells the British magazine The Economist that if the newspaper does disappear, "People under 30 won't even notice."
The mayor's office later clarified those comments, saying Newsom was talking about the physical version of the paper; and that lots of young people get their news online, like on the San Francisco Chronicle's web site.
And that's exactly the point. The internet and the recession are threatening the survival of newspapers around the country. As they see fewer advertising dollars coming in, more personnel including reporters get laid off.
Several cities have already lost the print versions of a daily newspaper; like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Denver's Rocky Mountain News. And the health of even larger newspapers - including The New York Times - has been called into question.
The Economist asks whether it matters if the daily newspaper is killed. After all, technological change has destroyed lots of popular products, and we've survived. But news isn't just a product; in a democracy, the press exists to investigate and criticize the government.
And local newspapers are the best source of aggressive reporting on local issue - school boards, municipal courts, city councils and the like.
Nonetheless, the end of the daily newspaper wouldn't necessarily mean the end of news organizations. Instead they'll have to find a business model that works online. Right now, most online news content is free. That doesn't pay the bills either.
Here’s my question to you: Would you notice if your daily newspaper disappeared?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Shawn from Chicago writes:
Jack, I live in Chicago and work for a major dot-com. I never read the print edition of the Sun-Times or the Tribune; I read them online. I subscribe to the Sunday edition of the Trib only as a form of habit (it usually ends up in the recycling bin). I wouldn't notice at all if these two institutions shut down their printed versions because so many of the young people in this city read their news online or on their mobile devices on their way to the office.
Robert writes:
Hell yes I would notice. I'm a Tribune Co. employee and I've been watching colleagues disappear for years in what the company calls "cost cutting". They're going to cut us right onto the unemployment line. You can catch me on I-95 picking up cans any day now.
Mike writes:
No, I wouldn't miss them. The way of the future is in some version of iTunes for the news networks. Maybe charge 25 cents per story. Everything will be online eventually. You cannot outrun technology.
Jack writes:
Unfortunately for me, the physical daily newspaper has long been replaced by the online version. While I may miss the smell and filth of the actual item, I can still get the news I want. However, I lament the disappearance of the daily newspapers in this country. They have become an unforeseen casualty in the war of technologies.
Pat from Canada writes:
I can't imagine not having a daily newspaper – editorials, letters, sports updates, crossword puzzles, recipes, fashion, etc.
Art from Mississippi writes:
Sorry, Jack, I wouldn't notice. And at just short of 45, I'm not exactly a part of the Z generation, or whatever this year’s crop is called. My parents have repeatedly subscribed to it for us for years now, and I repeatedly ask them to save their money.
Bobby from Baltimore writes:
Jack, What's a newspaper? Never mind, I'll go on the internet and look it up!
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Sadly, no. By the time our morning paper comes I've already scoured all my favorite news sources on-line.
Yes I would. TV & Radio do not cover enough of the local news & events – especially for those of us who do not live in a Major metropolitan area. It would be terrible to not have the local papers around.
NO, I read my news online
I would be devastated. A cup of coffee and the morning newspaper is a vital part of my daily routine. I like being able to scan the paper and pick out the stories I want to read in detail. Hard news, light news, sports, comics, editorials, classified ads........its all right there for you in one place......and you can come back to it later if you run out of time. I would really miss that!
Jack, I would miss mine, but it's not much to miss. It's usually local stuff, a one page business section and recaps from the wire services. The big thing my paper is used for is to let one of my toddlers go get it in the morning. Now THEY would miss the paper.
Ours is so bad we get the NY Times on Sunday to catch the things our daily misses.
I haven't opened a paper in at least 10 years. So no, I would not notice.
I have a daily newspaper?
Yes, the loss would be noticed. Albuquerque is a large city with half a milion people living in the metropolitan area. We used to have two news papers. One in the morning the other in the evening. One leaned to the right, the other to the left. No more. Now we just have the one paper, in the morning, the one to the right. It is thin on actual news and thick with advertising. It is as if our city is already without a newspaper, because the one that is remaining has no useful news. Still, we subscribe to the Albuquerque Journal. If only out of habit.
I would miss the news paper because they give you the details while tv or radio news gives you sound bites and they only tell you what they want you to know. the people in the world have become lazy or their education has failed them which is the case of the generations of the past forty year who can not read or understand the words that they have read.
Nope.
I would notice if CNN and MSNBC and the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal disappeared........... but my newspaper, nope, it is mostly advertisements and I would not miss it. I could still buy the two newspapers mentioned at the paper stand at the post office.
Would you notice if your daily newspaper disappeared?
I like many of us don't take the daily paper because we have no time to read it. We are too busy out there looking for jobs that aren't listed in the paper anymore..
Jenna
Roseville CA
Yes, Jack, I would notice, and be happy its gone. I am tired of having to go to the front lawn every morning to grab it and throw it in the recycle bin. There is no need to print them any more now that we have the internet.
I haven’t bothered to read a paper since most of them, along with the broadcast media, turned yellow. By going for sensationalism instead of straight , truthful, fact checked news, they lost all value to me. So the answer is “no” I would not notice.
No. When I use to read the newspaper, I was reading something that CNN talked about yesterday. It's okay for local topics, but it can't compete with 24 hour cable news.
Without newspapers, we're inviting another Watergate to take place. This time without retribution. A country without scholarly journalism is a country without standards.
Boston, MA
I won't, but I bet the bottom of many bird cages will!
The daily paper I subscribed to for almost 20 years stopped coming in January of this year. And yes, I know that it has disappeared. Reading the print edition is something I can do at my leisure. Reading the news online is OK for quick skimming, but I would be glued to the computer all day and half the night in order to read at my leisure. I think there is a need for the print edition of newspapers.
I live in a small town and, as it is, the daily rag is barely big enough to cover the bottom of a bird cage. I'd miss the classifieds and the obits. Come Saturday morning I need to know if I'm still alive so I can go out searching for that elusive Picasso at local garage sales.
Absolutely,
My neighbors would probably call the police saying there's a guy across the street wondering around in his shorts looking lost.
Jack: I would miss my local newspaper, because events in area are published in the local newspaper. The advertisements of local business use the newspaper. Sports, Obits, and national editorials would be missed. If they reduce there days in print I hope they keep Wednesday's and Sunday's Editions.
No, but my bird would.....
In the days before CNN and the internet, I relied heavily on daily newspapers to fill in the details of a story I heard on the evening news. Now, 15 minutes of HLN or a few mouse clicks can provide me an overload of information without killing countless trees to make paper that will ultimately wind up in a landfill. Unfortunately, newsprint is probably destined to travel the same path as the horse and buggy, just PLEASE don’t stop my Sunday paper, I need my comics, ads and coupons.
Yes, Jack, I would. My wife would be choking the life out of me shrieking, "Where is my paper?!!!"
Until she has savored the Sunjournal over freshly brewed coffee, I do not put away the hara-kiri knives.
A blizzard prevented Maggie from getting through with the paper one Winter day and my wife had me shovel not only the driveway but half the lawn in case Maggie (Lonborg) Smith threw out her pitching arm.
I would notice but I wouldn't care. It's filled with liberal nonsense.
I scan CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, CBS News, and Fox News daily – all faster and more efficiently, and with greater variety in tone and coverage than I would get from a local paper. I also follow a number of blogs regularly. Papers are dead.
Hollis, NH
The Houston Chronicle is almost there! Its starting to remind me of the weekly small town newspaper of my childhood. The subscription rate continues to skyrocket while both the quality and quantity of newsworthy stories continue to dwindle.
I will miss the morning routine, but they are weening us now.
I'd certainly notice. Have you ever tried to wrap fish in a computer?
It's the electronic age Jack. We see the news 8 hours before the earliest newspaper becomes out. By the time newspaper reaches me, it has become yesterday's news.
Not really. I can't afford to buy a paper. I get all my news from TV, the internet, and the radio. If I need to know what's on tv, I can look it up on my TV guide. The only thing papers was still good for was the Wednesday and Sunday ads and coupons. Now you can get that on line. There's nothing they provide that you can't get somewhere else, plus you get to save a tree.
huh? i didn't know I had one
Dallas, TX
Yes. When it isn't delivered I notice it right away and call them to bring a replacment.
No, I quit subscribing to it a couple of years back. The media bias became unbearable. I want a newspaper to report the news, not try to make it.
Atlanta GA
I usually get my news from TV/Cable or online; it is more accessible and I can view many different sources rather than depending on one. So, no, I wouldn't miss it . . . but wait, the coupons in the Sunday paper are helpful. If we could get all of those coupons online, I wouldn't buy a newspaper at all, except for a historical perspective of major new events more so from a souvenir perspective.
No, I wouldn't. But if newspapers want to survive, they had better start embracing the web. Print that rubs off on your fingers is on the way out. Once the baby boomers die off, newsprint will be but a memory.
Jack,
I haven't accepted home delivery of our local paper in over 20 years. Once each week, they toss a free copy in my driveway, which goes straight to the trash. In fact, I wouldn't even wrap fish in it.
Rick, OH
I'm in St. Louis, Missouri and I kicked the St. Louis Post Dispatch (Our main news paper) to the curb more than a year ago and haven't missed it. I'd rather dig through web news and the not so well known papers for info because the major papers have become so bias. Locally, we have had many events take place over the last few years that the Post either wouldn't cover (to protect political interests of officials involved) or covered in a very one-sided way. I expect news outlets to tell me what's going on, from all sides of the issues, and allow me to form my own opinions but they no longer do that. The entire paper has turned into one big Opinion piece.
There are so many of us out of work here in the Detroit area, I doubt we would notice as most of us can't afford a newspaper anymore!
For all practical purposes our local papers have disappeared. They are all about 1/4 the size they used to be. Those who did not or were late to adapt will disappear.
No. I quit reading them.The print is too small in the daily box scores, even with bifocals. Now I read several papers each day on line. I don't know why its free, but I okay with that.
Yes, I would miss the puzzles.
Why yes I would. I would miss my crossword puzzles even though I have to use a pencil cause I am not the brightest bulb in the lamp.
Jack, my cat would probably be the one who really noticed, in that I would have to find a alternative for the litter box.
Absolutely! I read three local newspapers every day. They keep me up to date on what's happening in my area. How else would I know who won honors as a high school graduate, who achieved some athletic honors, what the city council is doing, or what the local Board of Education wants to do for the school system, and how much is all that going to cost me as a taxpayer? Plus, the papers tell me who of my neighbors sold a house or got arrested or divorced or married, or which of my former students (I'm a retired teacher) has done something admirable or despicable. Local tv news doesn't give us the details; they just focus on the headlines, and national news, while usually well-covered by CNN, etc., is not going to care what happens in north-central West Virginia.
Besides all that, where else can you get the funnies, advice columns, gardening and cooking and fashion information, and the obituaries? My newspapers are essential to my well-being!
Yes. It would be a sad day for our Democracy. Besides, what else would I do with my morning bowl of cereal and cup of coffee?
Ed Reed
Port Aransas, TX
Everyone will suffer if the daily newspaper ,as we know it, "disappears".
It is the daily newspapers of this country that protect the people from the dangers resulting from the overeaching, malfeasance, fraudlent acts and lying of elected officials.
Bob
Louisville, Ky
I would notice. Despite having a computer that I use extensively, I still enjoy reading the newspayer. With a computer I fell restricted and confined, but with a newspaper I can spread out and read more relaxed. I hope newspapers don't die out.
I would notice but I don't think I would care I mostly get the news from the internet.But I do hope they don't disappear I know a lot of the older people looks forward to their morning newspaper and many of them do not use the internet but things do change I can hardly remember the 8 track tapes
Not really, a weekly issue on Sunday would be good enough. By the time the paper gets to us its old news with 50% advertising. When there is more advertising on every page than news article its easy to determine its not worth the money.
No it would mean less advertisements. They deserve to go out.
I read all of my news on line from the CNN, NY Times, Washington Post, and Arizona Republic web sites. I have not read the printed version of The Arizona Republic in years. It will not miss The Arizona Republic when it is history.
I'd notice if the Oregonian disappeared; but I don't think I'd care that much. I was born in 1975 and for the last 33 years I haven't seen the conditions in the USA improve because of anything any newspaper has done. The status quo is to foist incredible debt onto future generations while undermining the quality of life for most Americans. Newspapers have done nothing to prevent this trend. Neither has TV or cable news. The media has already failed its critical role to society.
Although there is no question that the internet and cable TV have fundamentally altered the news business, I would be quite the unhappy camper if ever I opened up my front door one morning, not to find my daily paper. Breakfast would never be the same again !
Carl from Montreal
Yes I would miss the quiet morning time at the breakfast table reading about the vagaries of mankind. What would I set my paint cans on? Also, I would miss the thrill of recycling all the nasty crap so I can read it again in a few days.
The driveways of the people that get the papers in my neighborhood would not have anywhere up to 6 or 8 left on them and these are the people that are home. So they must not use them to read. It just may save the trees.
Not long ago I would have said yes. I only look at my local rag for the Want Ads and the Obits. I receive the little bit of news that I receive from the internet and some on CNN. The politicization of "news" has driven me away from most news sources, including CNN, which I used to watch much of the day. The absurd repetition of stories for days and the politicizing of "news" is an extreme turn off. With the right-wing slant/bias( you say no? Well, why do the conservatives have so many talk shows and guest appearances on shows and the liberals only get Air America and a fraction of the airtime on the other outlets?) it is very difficult to get real news, be it political or not.
Jack,
I'm moving this weekend, so currently I am packing up the kitchen. Trying to find newspapers is challenging right now! I might have to go buy packing paper! I don't think I would have missed them though if I had not been moving.
Yes. It will be harder to find stuffing for the items I sell on Ebay.
No – I go on the Internet, so I wouldn't miss a newspaper.
It disappeared? I hadn't noticed.
Nope. That is not to say that I think we as a society would not miss it.
A paper that earned many Pulitzer prizes for journalism cannot be replaced by CNN any more than it could be by Faux News nor could it be replaced by USA Today. The fourth branch of government cannot be obsessed by only what it has film of, nor can local issues be rendered any service by a national organization.
Jack
You Bet! In fact it already has. There is still a daily paper here but it is a far cry from the Star Telegram of my youth. So I guess you could say my daily newpaper disappeared over a decade ago.
Pablo
Arlington Texas
Sure would, Jack. Even though I have a computer and can get I-net news, I still like to read the paper every day. Also, there are people who, believe it or not, do not have a computer, like most people think, and still enjoy the paper.
There are more articles in the papers that gives us more detail, it we would like to get all the facts. The news on the I-net tends to only give you the headlines and a couple of blurbs... Not enough to make sense of what's going on in the world.
I would miss my paper.
Unfortunately, no. Our local dailies have become so full of fluff and advertising/advertorials that we were drowning in a sea of unread newspapers and canceled them a while ago. Our local Hartford Courant, the country's oldest continuously running paper, has just merged with a local Fox affiliate as they are both owned by Tribune. It may be a vain attempt to stem the flow. While I think dailies have such wonderful potential, they haven't been able to keep up in the age of instant communication. Sadly, I think we're witnessing the death of the daily – if not the death of print altogether.
Given that the Colorado Springs newspaper is little more than a Thrifty Nickel with Mallard Fillmore cartoons, no.
Jim Bailey
Cripple Creek CO
About twenty years ago the NY Times came down here and opened a competing Newspaper in Gwinnett against the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and the AJC bought it and closed it down. To answer your question, what goes around comes around. The Internet will win this competition without buying out anybody.
Not really since the only thing that I get out of the paper is the Sudoku puzzle and throw the rest junk, outdated news and a bunch of gossip. Print is only good in books like your most recent fiction "Now of Never".
As long as I could read the most important things that a newspaper offers; my horoscope, my favorite comics and the concerts in the area I could say good bye to the print media. What the newspapers can not seem to grasp is that internet and television sources, such as CNN, offer immediate delivery. Each time I pick up a newspaper I read yesterdays news. Newspapers, the internet and television need to merge into a news service that can provide instant coverage of important events.
Wait, there are still newspapers around??? Wow, I had no idea.
Absolutlely I would notice if the newspaper disappeared. My recycle bin would be much lighter and I would have to buy wrapping paper to store items.
Nope. The news online is much more enriched with information plus I don't have to pay for it. News paper just can't beat digital media.
I receive a newspaper every day, and it is always filled with nothing really interesting, it probably takes me only about 3 minutes to go through the entire thing before it goes into the pile of papers I bring to the recycling place every month. I don't think I'll renew my subscription this year.
Steve M
Killeen, TX
Yes, I would, Jack. However, I would miss even more if the most investigative newspapers, the New York Times and the Washington Post, shut down. These icons are needed to help keep our government honest. We sure cannot trust the blogs to have the same journalistic integrity.
No Jack, but if they ever take The Cafferty Report off of CNN, you're going to see millions of really crabby people marching on Washington.
Yes I would be cause I would no longer receive the Sunday News, which I enjoy reading with a good breakfast. But the pain of the loss would be easily forgotten. I would be eating my Sunday breakfast in front of my computer where I stay in touch with my local news during the week.
Yes, as I would definitely miss the crossword puzzles!
Very much so. I'd have to stop drinking coffee in the morning!
Yes. I'd save about $17 a month.
Brownwood, Texas
By the time my daily Newspaper is out, I have already heard on t.v. or read on the internet everything that is in the paper. I think newspapers should go the way of the dodo bird.
Yes in this new century I want to read the fine print before I sign on to anything. As a kid I heard a saying "The world was going to the dogs" I think it has. Wolf eat wolf.
Oregon
Progress will have it that way I'm sure, and by the way Jack, what happened to all those typewriters that once were? IBM survived and I'm sure the newspapers will in a totally different way, and trees will be saved, I hope.
Is there a daily newspaper in my area? Gee i thought all those papers had shut down already.
No, but my dog would. I rtecieve two news papers each morning, the conservative one goes to the dog to do as he pleases, and the other one belongs to me
What once was a large paper is hardly big enough now to cover the bottom of my bird cage.
Jack – for most of my life, the one thing I have always looked forward to was getting up in the morning with a cup of coffee and my newspaper. You bet I'd miss it. I'd be lost.
Linda
Sarasota.
Absolutely I would miss the newspaper. At least it is in my mailbox when I get up in the morning. Many people do not have computers to get news on-line and quite frankly it would be frustrating to wait for things to download. I love the local news, now that I am older I appreciate the obituaries!! At least I know I made it another day.
Knoxville, TN
No, not at all, it has been too right wing! JS NC
I don't read the daily paper. I get all of my news online. Not only do I not have time so sit and read a newspaper, there are sections I really don't care about, like sports or classifieds. That's a waste of paper.
I'd rather just go online, ready the top news stories and keep myself informed that way.
The thought of not having the option of a daily paper does not seem dismal because my news sources come from the internet. However, it is sad to think of this American medium which has played an unmeasurable role in shaping our lives to come to an end.
No...USA today and the internet is where I gather my information.
i could care less if my daily newspaper disappeard. its called the internet and its the 21st century.
Of course I would miss it, how would I line my bird cage?
I would only miss the newspapers when I was cleaning fish.
Not really....I never read the paper and never have.
No. Is it a coincedance that the news media put's out more garbage now than ever and the news papers are dieing off? It actually works out. At least now we can just hit the delete key for that garbage and not worry about killing another tree.
Wait a minute, I will miss my paper. I need it to start the fire in my patio stove, paper train my dog, and swat flies. Can we just put the garbage news in the newspaper and put the important stuff on the internet?
No, I would not miss it. I am a internet person, but I hope newspapers are preserved in this country, they provide a vital service.
My daily newspaper is disappearing. The price is going up, the pages are getting fewer and smaller and the Sunday version is smaller than most daily papers anywhere else.
Jack: I would not notice or mind if the Arizona Republic disappeared. It's become a right wing, conservative Christian mouth piece. I'd have a meltdown if the New York Tiimes did not publish. With CNN.com and the NY Times, I'm well informed.
Hey Jack,
I love my local paper & its deviled to me each day... Straight to my Blackberry... I even get to pick what sections I want and I save money too...
Why yes I would miss my morning paper as the first thing I read
is the obituaries and if my name is not in there I continue with
the rest of the paper.
Sadly, I'm one of the sinners here: I read the major articles from many of the great newspapers in the United States online instead of as hard copy. Bloggers are interesting, but I'd be willing to pay a fee to get my news from these papers online. We need to save them. Their greater depth aside, I'm getting more and more disheartened with the crap I'm getting on CNN. It's 24 hours of Entertainment Tonight and Good Morning America. Where's the news?
Only on Sunday morning.
The daily paper here in the Champaign-Urbana area still gets its talking points from Dick Cheney and the irrelevant right. In the past couple weeks, they've come out actually supporting torture in their editorials. Astonishing. I'd miss the obits and birth announcements, an occasional feature story perhaps. Otherwise, good riddance.
BillD
Without a doubt. I'd miss the coupons.
Thom Richer
Negaunee, MI
Maybe less litter and disinformation flying around, but that's about it.
There would be an empty space in my day if the newspaper disappeared. For over 30 years, I've started most days with a cup of coffee and the local paper. Most of the national and international news can be picked up on the internet. However, the local news, the life sections, business sections, etc..... for the local area will be lost.
On the bright side, I'd have to start talking to my wife in the morning!
Yes, Jack, I certainly would. I get up an hour and a half early each day so that I can quietly read the paper and get the details of the stories that TV news skims over (no offense).
I discontinued my subscription to the newspaper when it cut out the TV guide & refused to let me have a Friday, Sat., Sunday subscription only. I really wasn't interested in receiving all that advertising every day of the week. Personally, I didn't want classifieds, car sales, house sales, Sears, Kohl's, etc., etc. Or the sports section. Take those away & there wasn't much news but that's all I wanted.
yes , my husband would notice, its the main reason he gets up in the morning, and loves the Sunday paper the most. i get my news from the web, while we both sip coffee.
Absolutely...I'd have less crap on my doorstep and I wouldn't have to deal with tying up all of these papers for recycling. I would also notice because I would no longer get phone calls every day asking me to subscribe. Ironically, I don't subscribe to my paper but get it anyway. And when I did subscribe, I would still get calls soliciting for my subscription...catch that? Good times Jack!
Probably not! Our newspaper has gone from a normal size paper to the size of a comic book and has maybe a total of 10 pages! I understand that the economy has hit everybody hard, but this is ridiculous. What you get, you can read in about 10 minutes, but I sure don't see any reduction in subscription rates! I will cancel my subscription after 18 years and get my news solely from my computer if things don't change!
I would miss the TV schedule. Otherwise, no.
Given the fact I'm responding to this on CNN.COM, No. Who needs physical when you've got digital?
No. I don't get my news from the newspaper. By the time the newspaper is delivered, its already old news. Not to mention that I have to pay for old news that wastes trees and pays the wages of dishonest reporters who are more bent on sensationalism than they are on the truth. I'd rather get more accurate up to the minute free news on the tv or the net where its easier to weed out the lies.
Jack I read my daily newspaper all the time where I live, shout out to the Freeport Journal Standard, and yes I would notice if my local newspaper ceased to exist. I love the internet just as much as everybody else, well maybe not you Jack, but it would be a shame if all the newspapers in country did not exist. I beleive you can get more out of reading a newspaper than you can online, I would fight to keep all newspapers alive. I love you Jack and Wolf on the Situation Room.
Scott Stodden (Freeport, Il)
You bet I would miss it. I always do the crossword. The rest of it is for the recycle bin birdcage or cat box..
Jack, I love nothing more than to sit down with a cup of coffee and the sunday paper and skim articles, rummage through the ads, and clip my coupons. My life just wouldn't be the same without that 1/2 hour of relaxation every week. Don't get me wrong. I love surfing the Internet, but there is nothing like a good old newspaper. If it were to dissapear, I would miss it dearly.
Take away our local newspaper and the only ones to notice will be the dogs and birds. No more papers put out for the dog while the master is away. No more lining the bottom of the cage for Tweety. Our local newspaper has been for the birds and going to the dogs for years.
Yes. I occasionally sell a few of my used things on ebay and old newspapers given to me by friends/family are a source of cheap packing material. If they stopped, I'd have to start going out and paying big bucks for packing materials. By the way, do I read the newspapers? Ahem...(blushing) no.. I read news online. Guilty as charged. Flog me with a wet spaghetti noodle if you must...it's just so much faster & easier. If a newspaper starts charging, I won't read it, not when there is so much available for free (like on CNN.com, et al). I'll sit through an ad or two to read an article, but I won't pay. Rupert Murdoch is capable of a bad idea once in a while too. (Roland/St George, UT)
For forty years I bought and read the daily paper. For the past five years I have gotten my news from CNN and the internet. The only thing I miss is the obituaries, which at my age is important.
No. I stopped my subscription abot four years ago. I read it online every once in a while.
I routinely only read dot-com news; local newspaper is not covering all the things I like to read, except for the occasional Death Notice & funeral listing or police-log crime of note.
Yes I would miss it. If we notice carefully, alot of news stories reported online or on TV often refer to a newspaper report before going into a particular story or issue. The physical newspaper is threatened, however, its function is not. They are essential and serve a vital , yet unappreciated role in our society and we must find a way to help keep this industry remain viable in whatever form. I will take the words of an accredited journalist from a newspaper anyday over some joe-shmoe online blogger.
Nope, don't read 'em; haven't read one in over 30 years.
Jack,
As a college freshman and journalism major, the loss of the newspaper would be tragic for my future profession. I would certainly notice it. Not only would it pose trouble in finding a job, it would also be difficult to get internships to get a job in a profession that's highly competitive. I seriously hope all of the hard work that I am doing right now pays off in the long haul.
B
Well Jack if newspapers disappear it will definitely make it harder to wrap garbage and start fires but we should be able to find suitable replacements.
Jack It keeps getting smaller and smaller So I am sure one of thees day ,
I will go out to the Drive way and just pick up an empty plastic bag.
YA Know?
I barely know that a local newspaper exists. If it was to disappear I probably would only find out by reading the news online.
Maybe not me, but my neighbours would definitely notice that there isn't a fat guy in his boxers bending over in the driveway every morning picking up a paper anymore. And they would be pleased.
Nope. Except for "USA Today", I haven't subscribed to a newspaper worth reading since "My Weekly Reader" in elementary school, and that was back in the '50s.
Jack,
Yes, this is one of the casualties of the new information age. I truly believe it's one of the ones that will hurt us the most. Who going to do all the real reporting? It's great that we have the 24 hour new cycle but most of that is opinion shows. I like the days when the new was reported like Walter Cronkite, and Burnie Shaw they reported and let you make up your mine what was facts or not.
Since it only takes under 15 minutes to look through our overpriced local newspaper I won't miss it. I get more news from CNN, MSNBC, local news and the radio.
Jack, it's already disappearing, or at least the important news is. What we receive now is a wad of advertising fliers, enclosing a few sheets of newsprint with tiny articles hidden amid more huge ads. A waste.
You bet I would, since I am a columnist for the daily newspaper here in Athens, GA. Even if I didn't write for the local paper, I still would not want to live in a town without a newspaper. Online editions just aren't the same as a morning newspaper and a cup of coffee–and you can't swat a fly with a computer!
Probably not. I get much of the news ov er the internet, as I was doing five minutes ago. The oldest contiuously published news outlet is now only available online. With the loss of printed news media, we see no reduction in the number of verbal and photo journalist covering important news, spectator nonsense, and everything inbetween.
The people who will miss the printed media the most are those who don't frequent the internet, or rely on broadcast media for their news, and fishmongers. I suspect many of the people aired on Jay Leno's Jaywalking segment may not miss it too much either.
Jack,I guess I would miss the comics and the sports page,but other than that there is so much information at our fingertips it would be difficult to really miss it with much passion,however my canary would be deeply saddened!!
Ofcourse I would notice Jack, how would I get my weekly coupons?
Latoya – Charlotte, NC
Nope....... I do not subscribe to our local paper, so no I would not notice.
We get our news online.
Jack, I no longer subscribe to a newspaper, I haven't in a few years. We have instant access and up to the minute news via computers, and cell phones. Really, who reads the newspaper anymore? I now consider it to be obsolete. Newspapers should hop onboard the "green" train anyway, and stop wasting paper that ends up in the gutter.
Hi Jack
I would Notice if we didn't have our Local newspaper, Now most people get there New for the web, but if we don't have newspapers than how are going to get people away from the computer ( as I sit her and respond to your question.) if we don't have computer than your question wouldn't be needed. Think about this if newspapers go then books will go a way as well and everything that we read will be online, and we need to get are kids out of the house and off the computers and back in the books and newspapers.
Thanks Mr Cafferty
We subscribe only to the Sunday edition of our local paper primarily for the weekend ads and grocery coupons. The rest of the paper is used to line the bird cage or wash windows. Its not worth much else.
We pay $7.50 for the Sunday subscription and can still barely make that up clipping coupons. When the day comes the coupons are not included in the paper, we'll just have to watch CNN on Sunday mornings.
I would miss it. I do not read it for the news. I just enjoy pulling some the chains by writing letters to the editor. Being somewhat of a left leaning person, I have fun going after the God and Gun Loving crowd.
No, I would not notice if the local newspaper disappeared. I don;t buy it. I don;t even buy paper books anymore, I use ebooks. I strongly believe journalism is very important to our society. However, it is time to come out of the 19th century and join the 21st century. This is the electronic age. The Newspaper inductry needs to move to an electronic medium, with established standards and editing processes to maintain a certain level of control. This would reduce some of their costs, and help the environment. There would be less paper wasted and less fingers to wash the ink off of.
Of course I would. How would I line my bird cage?
Jack , The one thing I wouldn't miss is everyone wanting to read mine, instead of buying their own. This is why they are all going broke. Most people complain about how bad the local paper is yet can't seem to live without it. Maybe if they would give up a little change and support their local news paper it would survive. Jack from Nice, Ca.
Well Jack, considering the only way I get your wonderful nuggets of wisdom only via the internet... what do you think?
Jack,
I would notice. I'd have nothing to wrap my fish in.
I would absolutely miss the daily newspaper, since the internet versions don't carry the comics.
I sure would. I enjoy reading the local paper with my morning coffee. It's informative on national and international issues as well as on local news. It gives you a sense of community. It tells what is going on ,where and when. Without the Obituaries I never would know if someone I cared about passed away. I recognize that newspapers are having a rough time right now but I do hope my local newspaper survives. I would miss it terribly.
Jack, this is a generational question. Like you, I'm an old foggie on the way out. Morning coffee without a newspaper is like Oreos without milk. But my son thinks newspapers are redundant since he
gets all his information on the Internet. He uses my paper to cover the birdcage tray.
After the demise of our daily paper will be the end of books, magazines, and snail mail. Information will be transported electronically. I still miss my rotary phone, records, VCR, tape recorder and typewriter but I can't live without my laptop!
I'm 35 years old, and I don't know a single person my age or younger who reads a newspaper. I wish they'd just shut up and go away already and stop throwing pity parties in the headlines. Nobody cares.
Yes, yes I would. I don't read it everyday, but my mother is quite the newspaper connoisseur. She enjoys reading the paper everyday, but she often times gets behind, so they tend to pile up. I have to say, I'd thoroughly miss those piles if they were to disappear. Not to mention, I'm an aspiring journalist!
Jack–
I am making my small town newspaper disappear by not renewing my subscription. I live in a rural area and get my local paper in the mail–around 4:30 in the afternoon. The paper comes out in the morning–by the time I get the news it's very old. This delivery method saves the paper money–but this subscriber is gone.
Jack.......what's a newspaper? Nevermind....I'll go on the internet and look it up!
Jack, I would not. Can't find where they throw the paper anyway!
Of course Jack. If my daily fishwrap disappeared, I'd have to wrap my food scraps in my laptop.
My hometown Rocky Mountain News went under this year. I noticed.
I think we're at the point now where most people under age fifty get their news online, so I don't think it would have as large of an impact as we may be led to believe. I still prefer the printed newspaper though...
In the Fall of 2007 will following the presidential primaries I became a devotee of two all news television channels. Within weeks I stopped subscribing to my local newspaper because by the time I got the next day's paper, the news was old. I still get the Sunday paper but that may go the way of the dodo bird soon too.
Given the blatant predictability of the current crop of news analysts, disappearing the newspapers might be the only merciful thing to do. That being said, I would be left with something much less appropriate to line the bottom of my bird cages.
I wouldn't miss my daily since I have not received it since it was bought by Murdock some 30 months ago. Connecticut has not had competing news for some years I do well with the smaller surburban town news for anything more I refer to the NY Times and Washington Post and internet.
You're darn tooting we'd notice! It's what we cool the peanut butter cookies on. And considering how much butter my husband puts in his cookies, we need several layers of newspaper to soak it up. mmmmmmmmmm cookies
I only buy news papers for historic things on the front page. But other than that I could care less.
Columbus has a daily paper?
I get more local news from CNN.com than The Dispatch would ever think of printing. LOL
No, I would not notice, not miss it if the local paper vanished.
Rick
Columbus, Ohio
I am 38 years old and the only thing I use the newspaper for is to clean my windows.
I would notice and cry.
Chicago, Illinois
Is there a website I can go to to find out if my town even has a newspaper?
Jack,
I'd notice for sure, but then again sometimes we have to give and take. We are saving trees by putting the news on the web but losing jobs on the other hand. I think it's a tough transition now but we'll survive through it. Printing presses will be replaced by massive servers and create jobs in the I.T. market.
I'm a 21-year-old news producer for a local TV news station in Maryland. I can't state enough the importance of reading the paper in the morning to get a mix and depth of news that I wouldn't otherwise get. And it's not just me. This applies to everyone in the newsroom. We would be significantly set back without it.
Jack, time to welcome people to the 22nd century. Print is dead- Time to learn how to read it on the web.
I would notice and be thankful. No more trash in my yard. It's survival of the fittest and the print paper is a dinosaur.
I would notice if my daily paper disappeared. I am 29 years old and receive the NY Times everyday via home delivery. However, I do not see products such as the Kindle reader as a negative development.
I'd be thrilled if the newspapers were gone. Waste of paper, time , energy. US Postal Service should go the same way... no need – use email and private carriers... and the gov can save money instead of investing in a dinosaur.
The only thing that matters to me is what I can find on my screen – get in the with the new.
Hi Jack,
I for one wouldn'nt notice; I'm from a smaller town in CA called Gilroy where we have a paper called the Gilroy Disptach that has been cut back to putting out only 2 papers a week. The news business is going to have to move to online sources.
-Chris
Yes! Everyday in the morning always quickly glance at the latest headlines to know what's going on locally. There’s something very human about having a paper that is loyal to the community, simply because its editors, producers, and advertisers are the community. And plus, it's great sitting down on a Sunday morning with a hot cup of a beverage and flipping through the local paper. Always looking for the funnies, of course, and spotting out the ones that have been there. It's sad to see that at the moment that our paper is getting thinner and thinner.
I would defanitly not notice if the paper dissapeared. Looking through my neighborhood its amazing to see the decline of how many people read the newspaper throughout the past few years.. I'm 25, and I personally get my news from the TV, or the internet. Mostly the internet because it allows me to get up to the minute news where as the newspaper, once its printed doesn't give you updates, doesn't give you up to the minute news, or anything of the like.
Jack,
I live in Chicago and work for a major dot com. I never read the print edition of the Sun-Times or the Tribune – I read them online. I subscribe to the Sunday edition of the Trib only as a form of habit (it usually ends up in the recycling bin). I wouldn't notice at all if these two institutions shut down their printed versions because so many of the young people in this city read their news online or on their mobile devices on their way to the office.
Hell yes I would notice. I'm a Tribune Co employee and I've been watching colleauges disappear for years in what the company calls "Cost cutting". They're gonna cut us right onto the unemployment line. You can catch me on I-95 picking up cans any day now
I would notice if the Arizona Republic disappeared – I would cheer. It is nothing more than a Republican party mouthpiece, owned by some conglomerate that doesn't give a hoot about local problems. The newspapers have done it to themselves. We need a credible source investigating government malfeasance, but local newspapers have discontinued this service.
No. But seriously, When you have the opportunity to get news for FREE online, the idea of having a local newspaper is forgotten. You dont use it, You Lose it! That is what has happened to our local daily news.
No I wouldn't miss them. The way of the future is in some version of itunes for the news networks. Maybe charge 25 cents per story. Everything will be online eventually. You cannot outrun technology.
Yes, Jack I would miss it terribly. How am I gonna drain my fried fish and clean my windows without the old newspapers. Paper towels are too expensive.
Jack
I live in a small town in Tennessee with about 40,000 people. We have 1 main paper in town. I personally know the editor. I asked him if the Internet has had any great affect on their circulation decreasing and he said know. They have their newspapers in dozens of classrooms in our school system and there are still a lot of the older generation left that grew up reading the newspaper every day including my father in his 70s and myself at 55. Someday I think these smaller ones may be affected, but I do not believe it will be any time soon. The larger papers should try and use these smaller newspapers as a role model and maybe they would survice.
Doug Carpenter
I am extremely well read, consider myself educated and am male under the age of 25. It has been 5 years since I held a newspaper in my hands – and that was the Wall Street Journal – not even a local paper. I don't have sympathy for the newspaper industry suffering because it considers print news a tradition and refuses to acknowledge there is a shift in readership. Supply & Demand exist for a reason – remain flexible and the industry will adjust as needed.
Yes we'd miss it greatly, in fact we read two newspapers a day.
Newspapers have contributed to their own decline, often providing a headline and then referring readers to read the full article online!
NY Times, Herald Tribune and USA today. European newspapers don't do that.
Yes, I would notice that they would no longer deliver those huge piles of garbage on my drive way.
I didn't even know there was a daily newspaper to begin with..
Eric Y.
Menifee, CA.
I am a young adult and I definitely wouldn't miss the daily paper. I read all the local news the city's website. The only thing I would miss, if anything about the daily newspaper, would be the Sunday's paper coupons for extra savings!!
Jack:
I get the Chronicle everyday and don't even read it sometimes. The quality has decreased, the ads have increased and their new format looks like a kids magazine. I only keep getting it because of tradition. I get most of my news on CNN and online. I feel like I'm wasting paper.
Rob Jacobs
Mill Valley, CA
I would be devastated without my L.A Times!!!
Anne, Torrance, Ca 90505
Daily newspapers still exists?!? Wow, that's news to me.
Jack, I would miss the Orange County Register for a New York minute. I get all the news I need using RSS news feeds on-line. I can read what I want, when I want, more currently and without inking myself up. Let it die. Only problem: Who is going to do the in depth investigative reporting needed to keep Sacramento honest? Good question.
I sure would.I love the paper on Sunday while drinking coffee.Not everything that is in the newspaper is on the internet.
Jack, I'm only 20 but I would definitely notice the local paper going bust. I always pick it up and scan the articles for interesting reads before heading out for the day. Even with the advent of online news and that newspapers aren't exactly up-to-date breaking news it still provides a vital news source that should remain. I can't imagine a world with no newspapers.
This is not a question about paper versus internet. It's a question of centralized versus decentralized journalism. We are moving toward a model in which citizen journalism is essential. Unfortunately, many daily newspapers are not structured to facilitate this, both offline and online.
Our local daily paper has shrunk to a mere shadow of itself. A once great paper now too often has "sections" that are 1 page, folded so that there are four sides. It's sad. But yes I'd miss the Letters to the Editor and the Op Ed page. Frankly that's all I read anyway.
It's too hard to hold the laptop in front of my face to create that great little bit of private space that I get when reading the paper.
If the local Flint Journal went out of business, I would not mind. Biased reporting and poor news reporting are a reason. Also starting June first they will publish only on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. How wothless is news like this.
I am 29 and I live in San Francisco. I wouldn't have a clue if the Chronicle paper disappeared.
It would, however, take me less than 12 hours to notice if nytimes.com down.
You bet I'd notice if my NYTimes wasn't delivered! I get upset if it's an hour late. I am a news junkie who watches the cable shows and uses the web to search various papers for stories of interest, but I count on having that hard copy of the NY Times in my hand early every morning.
Suzanne
New York City
YES, older folks like us in our mid-50's like the printed word.
Capitola, CA
I'm 38 and I wouldn't notice one bit if print papers disappeared. Newspapers are great for trains, planes and waiting at the doctors office, but these days I want to know NOW what's up in the world and I can find it at my computer. As for paying for it...I got no problem with that, in fact, we should cause we all got to eat!
Hi Jack,
I am one of those old girls that would miss the morning paper. I used to love sitting by my window in the morning, smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of coffee to read my morning paper.. Today, I sit in my air conditioned house, watch my 24 hour news show while sipping my Starbucks with my morning paper. I'm not sure what more news I'm supposed to see in the paper. I think it's just nostalgia for days gone by but I'd still miss it!
Jack our local newspaper is an offshoot of Gannet & frankly is useless. You have to beg for coverage of local events. When we're south in the winter, the Press Register does a remarkable job of covering local events, out of state news, even carries children's pictures/birthdays, snobird news, news from the north. It's a big thick paper & we enjoy every issue. Our local paper could dry up tomorrow & I'd have to find the obits somewhere else, but that's about it.
Sadly enough NO. I used to read the paper religously, but it has been replaced by the likes of CNN, and other online news sorces. The papers have no one to blame but themselves for not enbraceing the internt model for there buisness. Other news websites are doing well and can make money off of advertiseing. Why cant they?
Jack, I would not miss the Orange County Register for a New York minute. I get all the news I need using RSS news feeds on-line. I can read what I want, when I want, more currently and without inking myself up. Let it die. Only problem: Who is going to do the in depth investigative reporting needed to keep Sacramento honest? Good question.
Mark Richter
Laguna Niguel, CA
Unfortunately for me, the physical daily newspaper has long been replaced by the online version. While I may miss the smell and filth of the actual item, I can still get the news I want. However, I lament the disappearance of the daily newspapers in this country. They have become an unforeseen casualty in the war of technologies.
I'd notice and feel poorly about it for about one minute. I haven't subscribed to any newspaper in more than 20 years. My business stopped advertising in newspapers a year ago because none of my customers read the paper.
Sorry Jack, I wouldn't notice, and at just short of 45, I'm not exactly a part of the Z generation, or whatever this years crop is called. My parents have repeatedly subscribed to it for us for years now, and I repeatedly ask them to save their money. At least they don't take up too much room in the track, since we never unfold them.
Art
Mississippi
At 71 years young, I have read many newspapers in my time. For the last few years, however, I read the New York Times, the Washington Post, and occasionally, my town news paper, The Houston Cronicle or the internet.
Look at it this way.....My hands don't get dirty with newsprint, I get to read a lot of stories everyday, and the best part......it doesn't cost me a dime. A lot of trees are grateful too! Glen Guidroz
I am 29 and I live in San Francisco. I wouldn’t have a clue if the Chronicle paper disappeared.
It would, however, take me less than 12 hours to notice if nytimes.com was down.
My dad does the Cryptoquip (In the SF Chronicle) every day. I would notice because his mood would not be so jovial!
Yes, I would. And so would CNN and every other television news outlet. Print journalists provide the only real in-depth reporting out there. Television news would be lost without it.
Notice? That is the point of good reporting....great press is PROFESSIONAL "NOTICING".......gathering facts, reporting things at the local, regional,state, federal and world levels....we already saw the result of no one NOTICING WORLD NEWS...ignorance in two wars.....now if no one is professionally NOTICING local, regional, state, and federal news then more ignorance will spread and democratic government needs informed citizens. Will anyone notice the end of true democracy? that is what is at stake if we lose newspapers...a world of 20 sec sound bites...
Jack- The Dallas Morning News last week upped their Sunday rate to $3.00! That's after raising the daily rate to $1.00 and Sunday to $2.00 only a few months ago.
I've already started reading all my news online and it's much better. I can read the New York Times, LA Times, London Times, Al Jazerra, AND the Morning News each morning and I don't have to wash my hands after to get the ink off.
My economic stimulus to myself was to ditch the daily printed paper and go online all the way.
RIP Dallas Morning News
As part of the "under-30" club, I'd probably read about it online. Still, I hope newspapers stick around–it's nice knowing they are there when you need/want them.
Jack, my husband and I look forward to receiving our morning newspapers: the Ocala Star Banner and the Wall Street Journal. It is one of the first ways we take the pulse of the world/nation. We enjoy a cup of coffee and take 30 to 45 minutes to scan and read it throughout. I would not enjoy having to get my news online no matter how timely the news. We do log on at the end of the day to review our mail and any updates to the news. I hope the newpaper publishers will be able to overcome the changes of technology.
You bet I would, Jack. Not only my local newspaper but those papers I grew up with when I was a kid: Washington Post, The Evening Capital among my favorites. My day was framed by what I read each morning before heading off to school. I'm 60 now but my world was shaped by those who reported the world when I was in my teens. I think online news should charge for reporting either by ads or by subscription fees.
Woe, woe, woe! I start the day with the printed version of the NYTimes and the Orlando Sentinel. Right now, though, I am at my summer home and must do my newspapers online and I feel totally deprived. I would gladly pay more to get my printed version. I cannot imagine life without a real newspaper.
Yes! The newspaper gives you the opportunity to get a quick overview of the stories without having to wait for each new (web) window to load. And, sadly, even though we supposedly have a "fast" Comcast connection, I still waste a lot of time waiting for web pages to load 🙁
I wish I had a solution for the survival of the media, but since web news and podcasts have been free from the start, it's hard to see how newspapers and other media organs, which are so important for democracy, can generate income.
I would not even notice if the printed newspaper disappeared. I am surprised that everyone is so surprised that print media is dying as I have been getting information/news online for years. With my iPhone that I've had for 2 years, I don't even get news on my computer anymore because it's in my pocket and pretty close to real time. I agree that reporters are very important and the news is important, but I don't see what's so difficult about changing with the times and coming up with a system that allows reporters to make money for what they do well while providing it to an online source. Just my opinion. Thanks for reading!
I think the question is if my daiy newspaper would notice if I disappeared.
It may be pert new tecjhnology, part economy, but when the watchdog of the government – the newspapers, laid back and followed like sheep when the last administration babbled about terrorism and piled fear on the masses, they stayed back and accepted a lot of what they said as truth because of the fear of being unpatriotic and questioning the administration during a war. And now we know that that war was fabriated and the newspaper reporting just wrote down and reported what was fed to them. They have a lot of this to blame fro themselves.
I'lll say. I'm pushing 80 and old habits are hard to break. I read the mornig paper every morning with my coffee. Then I fix myself a latte, turn on my computer and find out what's happening now!
jc
I would not notice if my physical newspaper disappeared, but I would notice if the reporting disappeared. An ever changing world calls for people and businesses alike to adjust accordingly and the newspaper industry is no exception. Building a better business model to adapt to the changes would result in the survival of the investigative reporting that comes with local newspapers while the newspapers themselves vanish. I am confident that local reporting will in fact go on even if the outlet for such investigative reporting changes.
Definitely!!! It could destroy my marriage. We would probably hurt each other trying to get to the computer first in the morning. There is NO waking up in this household that doesn't involve a good cup of java while reading the morning paper. I'm afraid I would lose. Not only that, it would shut down our morning conversation and nothing would get done. The world will collapse around us...other than that...no problem!!!! Daryl
Hi Jack,
I am one of those old girls that would miss the morning paper. I used to love sitting by my window in the morning, smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of coffee to read my morning paper.. Today, I sit in my air conditioned house, watch my 24 hour news show while sipping my Starbucks with my morning paper. I’m not sure what more news I’m supposed to see in the paper. I think it’s just nostalgia for days gone by but I’d still miss it!
Jack
I am 26 yo and if the Tampa tribune vanishes, of course everyone would notice. Newspapers has been part of the daily lives of almost everybody in every city across America. However I think is time to change perspective. If the News paper industry did not spent money in Research and Development during the past decades to prepare for the Internet Revolution, then it is their own fault for their extinction. Greedy CEO's killed newspapers, not the Internet and/or my generation.
No, I wouldn't. Personally, I don't see any advantage to reading a newspaper, as opposed to online media. The paper not only costs more, but uses paper inefficiently. The sections I don't read simply go to waste. I feel for those who lose jobs because of this, but I don't think we should try to stop progress. Instead we should focus on shifting those jobs to new sectors in the media(online, etc.).
Chris
Victoria, BC, Canada
Absolutely! Besides the coupons and sale notices, where would I find news about Montana? The weather chanel uses that area of the map to stand & point east and west as tho nobody lived here.
I'm nineteen, Jack. Just because I prefer to watch Wolf and you every day doesn't mean I don't like reading the paper too.
The banter between you guys never fails to make me smile. Don't ever change!
I would hope that if they closed that would quit calling me every month or trying to get a copy of their paper in my hand every week at the grocery store. Some of them can be really agressive. So, yes, I think I would notice if they went away, and no I would not miss them. We need better journalist, and then maybe we would want to buy their paper.
My daily newspaper has already disappeared as far as I am concerned. I do read different newspapers online, that is, the ones that are online. Then I go to CNN, MSNBC, C-SPAN, even FOX, etc., for my world news. On rare occasions, I still buy a paper newspaper but it's rare when I do. On the other hand, I still buy tons of paper magazines and books. Believe me, that's enough.
Jack
If newspapers go away, what in the world will we ever put in the bottom of the birdcage?
Yes! I would miss my newspaper, I depend on my daily newspaper.
Living out of town I have satalite TV. My so called local network for news is 150 miles away, The newspaper is the only way for me to get local news. The local on line news coverage my newspaper maintains does not began to cover what the printed paper does.
Jack,
Would I notice if my newspaper went away? You bet! I read the paper each morning over breakfast. If it were only available online I'd probably not be interested enough to sign on and search for it.
Is the Stockton Record in trouble and is it likely to be online only? Evidently. The paper has lost at least half of its size in the last couple of years and now has half-page advertisements in the middle of its first (news) section! National sports? Look for the stories and scores on page TWO of the sports section! (But maybe an emphasis on local sports is a good thing...)
I hadn't subscribed to a paper in years until I got a Kindle recently. It's great to read on that. I subscribe to two now! It's very handy and not nearly as messy as a paper.
No Jack I wouldn't. I'm 45 years old and get all my news online. Online "papers" with advertisements seem to be the future.
-Pete
Sarasota, Florida
I might notice if no more news "papers" were sold, but I wouldn't lose any access to news, because I would read it online as I have been doing for several years now.
I would, since I've subscribed to the paper and have had my business and even my son featured in it. But these newspapers need to band together and begin charging the public for the valuable service they provide. The public needs to be taught the same lesson that was learned from Napster, excellent reporting, like great music, should come at a price.
Many young people will buy a newspaper to get some pictures. In Chicago, when Obama won the election, it was almost impossible to buy a newpaper, again on the day after the inaguration. He is always hot news here.
Yes, I would. Although Wolf and Jack are right to say people my age don't pay attention to the paper anymore (I'm a 23 year old college student), to me, losing it would be terrible. As a reader of one of the oldest papers in the country, The Hartford Courant, losing this paper would be a huge loss not only in responsible and quality journalism, but would be an even worse loss to the history of our nation's culture and news. Technology is an amazing thing, but blogging can not and will never (for me anyways) replace words on a page, or the newpaper organization that stands by them.
yes, yes, yes. I currently get the paper everyday and am now having to decide if I can continue. They have just raised the price and offer it on the internet at a cost.
Sometimes there are little articles that catch my interest and I can follow them up with the internet. I read books a lot and seeing some of the new technology to make reading books easier is frightening.
So now what happens, if there is a major meltdown of electricity, a satellite (not spelt right) misfunctions or some other disaster occurs and we can't use all this technology. Who will remember how to do the things of the past? Can be scary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I absolutely would notice. There's nothing better than a foldable, portable, disposable newspaper - read it at breakfast, (and share it with your spouse as you read each other the great stuff!), carry it anywhere, don't worry if you forget it on the train, rip out a piece you find especially appealing and pass it around, go back to exactly the thing you want to read (any time day or night). Get real news, in depth, instead of being spoonfed the same story over and over by the talking heads. TV news has its place, but it will never replace a good daily newspaper.
As a former newspaper publisher, it pains me to say it - but the daily paper in large cities is dead as the cassette tape. People in towns of 250K or more simply have too many options to get their news and advertising information. In addition, no one seems to have the attention span or the desire to read a deep account of any news story any longer. Thirty seconds and a sound bite are enough.
Smaller papers will still survive because their readers have nowhere else to go.
Would you notice if your daily newspaper disappeared?, not really. Right now I as a lot of other people get their news online, but when the day comes that I would have to pay to read the news on the internet is the day I stop reading the news. Most news is bad anyway and is owned and controlled by Republicans pushing their agenda.
Jack yes, we would notice. Especially in local communities as you said it still brings us local news and events happening around our own homes. Not to mention those crossword puzzles and coupons. So don't put us baby boomers aside yet, we have a long way to go before we are gone.
Dan AZ.
Newspapers....? Who reads them anymore? I wont miss them because I've never bought one before.
Would I notice if my newspaper disappeared? No more than I'd notice if my husband left me and all the coffee on the planet vanished. How on earth do folks start the day without the newspaper? We have CNN on, too, but for me, the feel and smell of the newspaper makes it vital to my day!
Judy
Dallas, Texas
Yes, I would miss the daily delivered newspaper if it were discontinued. It is most relaxing reading at leisure and articles can be clipped, saved and re-read if need be. The internet serves a purpose but most of what one sees on line isn't retainable in total or even in part. I think the newspapers all over the country should band together and come up with an affordable plan. I'm afraid the home delivery of the newspaper will go the way of home delivery milk and that would be sad. As to the 30 somethings, "let them eat cake".
No I wouldn't notice if my daily newspaper disappeared. As a New Yorker some of my local newspapers are free. Unfortunately, they are more like tabloids than actual sources of important news. The fact of the matter is that online news can have all the value of print media but print media must begin converting to the online form, advertising on a site like The New York Times site would make money if that is the only way to read The New York times. I have worked for a news paper company and I know the few cents we pay for a paper doesn't cover any real cost, in effect online news sources could be even more profitable if advertising was implemented properly. The New York Times Is simply behind the times.
Newsprint is gone. God save the trees. They will help to reduce carbon dioxide pollution in the atmosphere. I get my news online instantly. Why wait for the daily paper to arrive which is already 24 hours old when I get it. Time and tide wait for no man. Likewise technology. It's time for the newspapers to move on and go online to save their souls.
I've worked in print media for over 15 years...my career began right before the development of the internet. I thought I'd hooked my dreams to a very solid ship and planned to work in the field for the rest of my life. Now, I can't pick up a freelance gig (forget a staff position) to save my life and I'm still not sure where I see my future going. Clearly, the industry shot itself in the foot when the content in print became free on the internet. Is it too late to change that? Regrettably, I think so. I see newspapers going the way of radio shows like "Amos 'n Andy." Will we survive? Yes. All that investigative reporting can still be done...just presented on the net instead of print. Will I miss it? Like crazy. I miss it already. The problem that remains is how do all of us print journalists find companies willing to help us transition over to new media?
Jack, I'm way under 30 and I'm not even an American citizen: I just happen to be in the Bay Area these months and without the San Francisco Chronicle my sojourn here would just have not been the same. Extensive and unbiased news coverage is vital for the survival and the well-being of a democracy. Information on local issues is also crucial in such a big country like the U.S. Tell Wolf I said Hi.
It wouldn't hurt some of the newspapers to go out of business. When was the last time you saw any stories in the newspapers investigating Acorn, Political corruption, voter fraud. Maybe when they stop being so political and remember to keep the country first instead of a political party.That goes for both sides. I won't miss them at all.
Would I miss a daily newspaper?? You bet!
A newspaper is not just for news. A newspaper has it's pulse on the heartbeat of the city it covers. Op-ed, sports, schools, entertainment, to name a few are all within the pages.
But those are the most obvious aspects of the daily newspaper. What about what it does for the American family?? Sitting at the table with the paper spread out, invites conversation, helps teach reading, encourages thinking and curiosity.
Without daily newspapers, we will continue to rely more on spoon-fed news blurbs, thereby disabling our ability to make informed opinions.
Good Lord, yes, I'd notice! Nothing covered by the daily blogs and 24-hour television news could ever get at what happens in my backyard. National and international news is essential to any daily information diet, but no diet is complete without a good solid dose of vitamin C– Community. The fact is, people do care what happens around the corner and down the street. The thing that builds and solidifies a sense of community is the awareness that comes from thorough, local coverage of city, county, and state government, local sports, and yes, even the "whose wed, dead, and bred" features. In addition, 24-hour television news and blogs are effectively blurring the bounds of what constitutes news by blending in opinion and celebrity gossip alongside investigative and international news. I fear the day when "news" is no longer information, but corporate opinion–and no one notices.
I really woudn't notice if the Grand Rapids Press disappeared. At 34 years old, I do buy the paper on Sundays (mostly for the TV guide), and occaissionally during the week if something local of interest occurs. For national news, there is usually nothing new to add to what you at CNN have dissected from every angle the night before. Everything else I might use the paper for, movie times or employment ads, are available much more conveniently online.
I'll admit I'm no spring chicken, but I would sure miss my morning Seattle Times. I have a computer, but I still love my newspaper.
Yes, the disappearance of the daily would mean a huge hole in our
daily lives; Where else can we get, so handily, "Dear Abby", recipies,
sports statistics, obits, comics, bulletin boards for local meetings, etc,'
etc. Let's keep the papers, please. Erling
Yes, I would notice, but like many young people I watch the news on TV and the internet. CNN always has the up-to-date news. Local news can be found on major stations.
I don't know how older folks like me would know how to post an apartment rental, sell a car, buy a pet, without it.
Evans
The printed newspaper is an artifact of the past. Old and young will
quickly embrace and electronic newspaper designed for the new Kindle.
With this device we wil save trees by not printing on paper and reduce
the price of distribution. We will all turn to caress the Kindle instead of
that clumsy and messy newprint. I am ready for it!