The Newspaper

Have you looked at your newspaper lately?  Have you even bought a newspaper lately?  When was the last time you thoroughly read a newspaper?  Perhaps without even being too noticeable the newspaper has been undergoing a dramatic change.


Our area, near the big city, had a precious little newspaper called 'The Sun'.  It kept us informed about our schools, pictures of our kids, weddings, obituaries, local events, etc.Most of us spend more to eat out one time than The Sun subscription cost for one year.  I wrote some 'Letters to the Editor' four years ago urging our people to use the dealer's coupons in the paper.  This would confirm to the advertisers that their advertisements were being effective and producing sales.  Guess what?  The Sun set; it is no more.  


Newspaper publishers are struggling to stay alive and cutting corners in many ways.  The paper rolls have been made more narrow to save cost.  Less paper area require less ink and fewer stories to fill the pages.  Reporters and other staff have been terminated.  You can see the decrease in advertising each week as  major advertisers decrease the number of sheets and smaller dealers drop their adds.


I guess we are saving more trees from the paper mills.  What are we losing?  Is the Internet really a replacement?


Do you believe that the most feared force by persons of dishonest character is the police or FBI?  Is the federal government keeping tabs on everything to keep them honest?  Well who is keeping tabs on the federal government; or your county commissioner?  Does that eight minutes of news briefs, six minutes of advertisements, and one minute of 'feel good' banter keep yo fully informed?  Other than traffic problems, local crimes, major fires, and murders; what does it tell you?


When was the last time a television reporter traveled the country or the world for months or years to develop and prove a happening and present you with a story that answered every questio?  Who?  What? When? Where? How? And a very important Why?  Listen to your television reports and see if you can find one that answers all of these questions.  


Your newspaper seems condemned to follow the path of so many weekly and monthly publications that are now collectors items.  I always read the Saturday Evening Post.  What prices original copies of Buck Rogers and Dick Tracy comic books bring.  That's the ones that we bought for a dime.  What child today would be thrilled to read of Buck Rogers flying around in space?  They would laugh at Dick Tracy talking on his 'wrist radio'.  A child of that day could not imagine that I could speak to this computer and it would type what I said.


I remember rteading short stories in the Oklahoma City Times written by Lois L'Amour.  He developed them later into full length novels.


The newspapers are losing.  The advertising dollars are moving to the electronic media.  Newspaper may become weekly publications  or become free monthly magazines like the one I and others write for without compensation.  It's an above average publication with quality paper, printing, and magazine binding.  Perhaps leading the vanguard, this publication can be picked up at local places of business but can also be read in severl media like Facebook.


One day newspapers will not be news.  The Sun will set again.