Beginning on July 8th, our city newspaper will be almost non-existent. It was first issued 150 years ago in 1870. What was once a 7 day/week publication will be published in paper form on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. There will also be no more paper carriers. The paper will now be delivered by mail. )That means I won’t get the paper until 3pm!) It will be available online 7 days/week.
I’m sure I’m in the minority here, but I love reading an actual newspaper, it’s part of my morning routine. I doubt that I’ll read it online - it’s just not the same. I will also miss the daily crossword puzzles.
I know this has been happening with newspapers throughout the country and has become even more prevalent since COVID. This is the main reason for the changes. They also claim that more people would rather read the online version. But what about all of the elderly people that don’t use the internet? My mom will have withdrawals. She loves the newspaper and she does not have internet access nor does she want it.
I am a fan of physical newspapers too. There is an interactive experience in reading them, including the feel of the paper in the hands, the sound of the rustling, and the smell of paper and ink, in addition to the ability to scan full pages and flip around to focus on the content, that are missing from the online experience.
Physical newspapers have been dying for years. My conspiracy mind thinks that rich opponents of news have spent the last few decades buying them up in order to kill them. But also, I get the idea that circulation and consequently ad dollars have been declining, so that the financial business model is not sustainable.
