As the economy continues to deteriorate, one of the industries that is
going to be most severely affected is the American newspaper industry.
The fact of the matter is that the biggest chains are deeply in debt.
Major cities that have had at least two daily newspapers for more than
a century, such as Chicago and Seattle, might soon find themselves
with only one source of news. Other papers, such as those in Detroit
are no longer providing daily home delivery. If things get really bad,
some experts say that some small towns might not have any paper by
2010.
And that's a shame. Unlike radio which has become dominated by opinion
or TV news which only looks for the 30 second sound bite, the local
newspaper digs deep every day to get you, the reader, the full story
on what's happening in your town.
The newspaper is heavily focused on local news. It keeps you informed
about events in your town and keeps local government in-line.
So for one day, Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, please make it a point to pick
up your local newspaper (reading it online doesn't count).
It doesn't matter if it's a daily or weekly, right-leaning or
left-leaning. If you're a college student and you get the school paper
for free, buy the town paper. If you subscribe, why not pick up a
second copy?
Who knows? You might like what you see and come back another day, and
another, and another…
