Recently when I was in Tampa Florida at a Marriott hotel, I had an experience that shocked me. I went into the shop in the hotel that supplies all kinds of nick-knacks – water, ice cream, souvenirs, magazines, chewing gum, travel sizes of toothpaste and shaving lotion, ad infinitum.
I looked for the newspapers. I looked and looked. Finally, I went to the woman at the cash register and asked where the newspapers were located. She, matter of factly, told me that they don’t carry newspapers anymore.
“What?” I said. “You don’t carry newspapers?” my voice rising. “No, sir, we haven’t carried them for some time,” she responded. “Holy cow!” I exclaimed. “You have to be kidding me.” “No, sir, I am not. I am sorry,” she said.
What in the heck is happening in this world we live in? when you cannot even purchase a print edition, hard copy of a newspaper – either a national or local one.
Yes, I am fully aware of the dramatic decline in newspapers in this country over the last 18 years. Since 2005, 25% (2,100) of the nation’s weekly and daily newspapers have gone out of business.
Yes, I am aware that circulation of newspapers in print has decreased significantly. For example, in print circulation dropped 55% in the five years between 2015 and 2020.
Yes, I realize that many people now receive their newspapers electronically. I happen to be one of them. I subscribe to the electronic versions of 5 newspapers, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Seattle Times, and the Desert Sun in Palm Springs California. I read them every day. I take the first hour of my day to consume all of them. I must admit that I am a news junkie.
The reason that I subscribe to the electronic versions of these papers is because of the convenience and the comfort of knowing that no matter where I am located on a particular day, I can always get my news from newspaper sources that I have some confidence in.
Yet… Nevertheless, it is one thing to have a dramatic decline in circulation, it is another thing to be unable to find a newspaper in print to purchase! You would at a minimum expect that a hotel, convenience store, airport, train station, building lobby — to name a few locations – would have newspapers available to purchase.
I don’t know about you, but I still really crave – occasionally — the opportunity to purchase a real, printed version of a national or local paper. You may ask why.
For one thing, I love the feel of the paper. One of our five senses is touch. Touch triggers a reaction. Psychologists tell us that whatever we have in our hands we feel we own. And research shows that makes us value it more. I like the tactility of a newspaper. I like the process of turning the pages, and I like folding pages as needed.
Another one of our senses is smell. I love the smell of the printed paper, of newsprint. The smell comes from a chemical process impacting the paper and print called acid hydrolysis which in turn gives off compounds into the air with hints of vanilla, almond and musky florals.
As I have shared before, I am dyslexic and every chance I get to see a picture, especially one that has colors, I am immediately drawn to it. Newspapers have lots of eye-catching pictures. This appeals to my sense of sight.
I even love the fact that sometimes the newsprint comes off on my hands. Reading a newspaper can be messy. That is ok with me. The reason this happens is that the newsprint is often low quality, and applied quickly on usually recycled paper which can fairly easily come off when coming into contact with one’s fingers and hands.
I love the many sections that a newspaper has to offer. In particular the Sunday editions get me all excited because of all of its numerous sections. For years I would get the Sunday edition of the New York Times, knowing full well that I would still be reading certain sections as late as Thursday the week following its publication date.
Believe it or not, I even like to scan the ads. I am curious about who is advertising and the techniques the advertisers are using to draw customers.
I also travel a fair amount, and I always want to buy a copy of the local newspaper wherever I happen to be. The reason being is that it is a way to get a pulse of what the current issues are in that community.
And frankly I find that reading a printed newspaper often stimulates my thinking. It gets my brain rummaging about some topic. I can almost feel the ideas bouncing from one side to the other side of my brain. I often pause when I am reading a newspaper to just ponder.
For all these reasons I – occasionally – like to be able to purchase a real in print edition of a newspaper.
The print edition of newspapers – where have they gone?
I’m your generation who loved newspaper as well. For the same reassons as you well described in your blog.
I hope the same will not happen to books. One day …
I so sgree. Yikes, as Andreja just mentioned, I sure hope that dues not happen to books in my lifetime🫣
I truly share your nostalgia for the loss of daily newsprint. But what I feel more deeply is the altogether loss of newspapers themselves, regardless of format. Particularly local and regional but the capacity of even the major national papers to cover events of the day and their context is a collective shadow of its former self. The fact that you can read 5 newspapers cover to cover in a single hour is sadly confirming. Readership has dropped like a rock and ads have followed. As a consequence so have budgets for high quality journalists and editors. Internet-driven alternative sources have both driven this massive trend and filled the void, largely without the benefit of editors committed to long established standards of ethical journalism but instead fear mongering intent on attracting the maximum number of eyeballs by driving up anxiety, controversy and extremism. The consequences to the quality of civic affairs and political discourse is incalculable, a reality (and the consequences of which) we now are seeing play out daily.
I fully agree with you, Neil! Newspapers are essential and while I can get them over the Web, I like one in my hand, daily ( get 2)! (And I want the varied opinion of columnists as well as their editorials).
So sad to see their demise. I asked my Granddaughter a riddle last week: “What’s black and white and red (read) all over”. She had no clue, Probably thought it was Instagram!!!
I’m with you on this Neil. I love picking up the local newspapers when I travel. I also agree with Sandy, even though I have all the electronic devices to download books, I still like holding my novels. I still find myself highlighting my favorite passages.
Neil, I agree. I also prefer the format of a print newspaper — the way the articles are arranged. Unfortunately, very few electronic versions of newspapers display using their print format.
In Chicago we had morning newspapers, the Tribune and the Sun Times and evening newspapers, the American and the Daily News. I loved driving with my father to the news stand to pick up the evening papers and his favorite – the Racing Form!
Neil, I can relate for sure. I am the ONLY person in my community who has the paper delivered every day. Yes, I can access it on-line, but I enjoy having the paper delivered and the feel of it in my hands versus on a keyboard. I think they would pay me to not have it delivered. I too have always made it a habit before boarding an airplane, to purchase the USA Today or the Wall Street Journal to take with me to pass time on my flight, Nope, not anymore, its on-line or nothing for the most part. Technology is a double-edged sword with many parts that just are not right.