Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Monday, May 30, 2016

The News

Do you subscribe to a paper newspaper? There was a time when I wasn't sure I could survive without a newspaper with my morning coffee. I read it cover to cover everyday. I have a friend who doesn't believe anything until she's seen it in print in at least two newspapers. To her, paper newspapers are all that can be trusted.

Then one day our newspaper up and announced it was going to print for home delivery only four days a week. That was a bummer. I was bad enough about having a newspaper with my coffee but not nearly as bad as Bob and his word games. I was ready to throw in the towel and cancel our subscription.

At that point I stopped reading the paper newspaper. Bob really had a hard time not receiving a paper every morning. In time I subscribed to USA Today for the sole purpose of him getting some kind of paper every morning. I think he'd grown accustomed to the thud every morning when the paper landed by the front door.

These days I go weeks without ever picking up the paper. He keeps the grocery store ads out on the table all week. Sometimes other pieces are there that I could pick up and read but I seldom do. How much am I missing by not reading a paper newspaper?

I heard Mitt Romney lamenting the fact that of his five young adult sons, not one of them subscribes to a paper newspaper. I suppose eventually paper newspapers will go away.

I have access to The Oregonian online because we subscribe to the paper version. I also subscribe to the online version of The New York Times but I don't feel like I've read a newspaper when I go online to read the news. I feel like I miss a lot.

I suppose I'm adjusting to getting my news in little bites from here and there. I think I'm beginning to like just a snippet. How much do I really want to know about a topic? How much do we miss when we get our news this way?

How do you get your news? How do you feel about paper newspapers?

26 comments:

  1. We still subscribe to a newspaper. Neither of us wants to give it up. I find I'm often supplying news to friends and relatives who no longer subscribe to a newspaper.

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    1. Exactly our findings. Online seems to miss a lot of the local and human interest stories.

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  2. I still subscribe to the Sunday paper and get the online version free. I never look at it online. It's just not the same. I still find lots of uses for old newspapers, too. That would be hard to give up. Another 20 years and hard copy newspapers will be gone, next it will be hard copy books.

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    1. I use newspapers for all sorts of things other than reading. What will I do when they're no longer available?

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  3. We don't subscribe to any paper newspaper any more. I used to enjoy the Sunday paper. I feel overwhelmed with all the news we hear on TV now.

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    1. Since I don't watch TV that's probably the reason I feel like I don't know what's going on in the world anymore. TV news is too upsetting to me so I never turn it on.

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  4. It's been years since I had the newspaper delivered. I try not to see the news - enough comes to me to make me wince already.

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    1. I don't get much except what I get online. I don't watch TV. The cable news channels are more than I can handle.

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  5. The only newspaper I read regularly is our free local news bulletin which has only a tiny bit of national news but lots of local news and letters to the editor. I find those entertaining. I watch the evening news on TV but find I'm watching less and less.

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    1. Wonder if we're becoming a society that's beginning to shut out the news. We're over saturated.

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  6. I have the newspaper habit. However, Our local paper is on the way out. That will be the end of papers for me. I already pick up most of my news online. Local news is what I miss online.

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    1. Not sure how we'll get local news without newspapers. I guess we can follow local news stations on Twitter and Facebook but it's not the same. Really hate to see local news go.

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  7. My husband cannot get along without his morning paper each day. My kids on the other hand get all their news on their computer.

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    1. Pretty much the picture of the American family these days I suppose. Our children do not subscribe to newspapers either.

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  8. We subscribe to the Seattle Times. I look through it every day, read some editorials if I have not already read them on line from The New York Times, and I read a few articles in full. Since we listen to the news talk radio, we hear a lot of the same news that is in the paper. We also watch local and national news on TV and geto other news from links on Facebook. I guess you could say we are "newsy".
    Oh, and I do work two word puzzles in the paper every day, during my lunch hour.

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    1. Newspaper lovers across America solute you. Your newspaper should gift your subscription and put you to work advertising for them. You two are newsy. I like that.

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  9. Summer has gifted us with the Dallas Times Herald Sunday edition! I love it but I must admit - I use it mostly for my art table on Tuesdays!!! Newsprint is AWESOME to absorb the turp and oils from an art class!!

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    1. I'd miss the paper if for no other reason than all the handy household chores. I clean mirrors with it. Potting a plant, set it on newspaper. Peeling vegetables, over a piece of newsprint. Many uses for newsprint.

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  10. Our local paper added an online version some time ago. We subscribe to the online version, which comes with the hard copy of the sunday paper.

    When we are away in the winter, it's nice to keep up with the local happenings with our online subscription.

    For those who prefer the hard copy only, it is only available 4 days a week. My mom, who has never owned a computer (no interest whatsoever) was disappointed with this change. I'm guessing that as the population ages, the norm will be to get your news online exclusively.

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    1. I'm afraid we are looking at the end of newspapers in print. Sad to see them go. I suppose the time will come when everyone will have enough computer knowledge to read online.

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  11. We gave up the newspaper delivery for online. My husband was faithful about reading, but I was not. After he died, I stopped subscribing to the online version. I occasionally pick up a Sunday paper and occasionally watch the news on TV. Honestly, there are periods when I just no longer want to know for my own mental health. My parents would be ashamed of me because they did not raise me to not know what goes on in the world.

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    1. You describe my feelings exactly. These days I'd rather not know. There's not a thing I can do about any of it except vote when the time comes and I don't need daily news to do that.

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  12. We still have a full subscription to the Springfield Republican at home, although it's so diminished now that I often don't bother with it. A friend gets all her news on-line, but I prefer paper.
    Funny thing - I just had this conversation yesterday. We're currently in Venice, FL and the Venice Tribune is terrific - real news and everything. I attribute its strength to the older population here - a group that still appreciates (and I guess demands) a good paper.

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    1. Wonder how they make a profit if they're running such a good paper. Perhaps their subscriptions have not dropped like they have around the rest of the country. Good for them.

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  13. I use to really enjoy the Sunday paper and would sip coffee and read almost cover to cover. Now days, I get my news on the computer or TV. Our local paper (that I get by mail)comes out once a week. It has no national or state news but lots of local and human interest stories. I fear the same thing has happened to magazines. I use to be a magazine junkie but now only get one--6 times a year. Times are a changing.

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    1. Oh yes, magazines. Same story for them I suppose. I have mixed feelings. I hate to see them go but am glad not to be hauling them to the trash or recycling.

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