Anyone still read newspapers?

[Joe Pelonio]

Our local paper, serving the eastside (east of Seattle) went out of business a couple of years ago. The two Seattle papers struggle, one will go away in two weeks it looks like. The other, which we get delivered to the house, is getting thinner and thinner every day.Then I just heard the major Denver paper stopped running last Friday and got to thinking. Obviously the economy
has affected their costs and their advertising revenue, but also, is part or even most of this a lack of newspaper readers, due to the internet, or even a lack of interest in the news? Maybe I'm a nearly extinct old fashioned guy, because I love sitting and reading the paper with my coffee in the morning.
When I sit at the computer for the second cup I like to read the forums.

[Bruce Page]

I read the ABQ Journal every day. Our second large paper, the Tribune went belly up a few months ago. The internet is indeed changing the way we get our news.

[Matt Meiser]

We stopped getting ours because it was worthless anymore. To save money they apparently don't send out their reporters and rely on police reports, meeting minutes, etc. So they get all kinds of basic facts wrong. things like the street a business is on etc. And they pretty much stopped covering anything outside the immediate area around our county seat unless it is sensational enough. For example about the only news they print from the west side of the county is freeway deaths and rumors about Cabelas selling out to a casino. They've got an online version of the paper you can pay for and print a few major articles every day for free. They let people comment on the stories anonymously and lets just say that doesn't bring out the best.

Plus we had all kinds of problems with our carrier and probably didn't get the paper once every few weeks and got it soaking wet at least once a week on average. Then we got a nasty letter from her because we complained to the circulation department and that was the beginning of the end.

Now we do get a small weekly that covers the important stuff from our side of the county. They are doing OK because the staff is 2 people and they have the contracts to publish most of the foreclosure notices which unfortunately is bringing them a lot of revenue right now.

[Jim Becker]

We pick up a local-local paper when it's convenient to do so...our neighbor's daughter is on the staff, too. But we never read the "newspaper" in the sense of big papers. Oh, OK...I read USA Today while traveling since it shows up at my door each morning in the hotels and generally is in the airline club, too...

I think that print media is going to continue to struggle greatly and with the economy what it is, ad revenue is going to depress further. That doesn't bode well for many papers that are teetering on the edge. And many of us prefer to get our "new" via online media or on the TV when we wake up in the morning. I check MSNBC.com several times a day for news including local weather, for example. It's just a regular routine now...even on my iPhone.

[Chris Padilla]

I heard from the folks that even though the Denver Post and Rocky Mountian News combined, the RMN is officially going out of business very soon.

As a kid in Colorado, I used to deliver the RMN in my neighborhood. I earned enough money to get myself a nice touring bicycle.

My parents have gotten the Denver Post for as long as I can remember but once I moved out, I never bothered getting paper delivered and here I am 20 years gone...still no regular paper delivery.

[Gene Howe]

We still get 3 weekly papers. Can't line the parrot's cage with a laptop.

[John Schreiber]

It's sad when newspapers close down, but what really worries me is the loss of investigative reporters. If we don't have somebody who is paid to closely watch our elected officials and big businesses, a lot more will get swept under the rug.

[Joe Cunningham]

I read the ABQ Journal every day. Our second large paper, the Tribune went belly up a few months ago. The internet is indeed changing the way we get our news.

Good to hear. My brother works for them as photog, though who knows for how much longer.

I get my local paper, their 'weekend' subscription: Fri-Mon. They had an editorial today explaining some changes coming beginning at the end of the month--they are moving printing to MA and closing down their local printing operation, plus making the paper 'narrower'. It is already kinda tiny.

I actually read both the print and online editions. Something about the printed word--I often read stories I'd otherwise overlook online.

[Clifford Mescher]

Another thing that turns people off is the politics. When you favor one side over another, you automatically alienate one half of your potential customers. Clifford.

[Greg Peterson]

John, you get to the nut of the issue.

Where is the editor to make sure the reporter is getting his facts straight, sources are accurate..... ? Online sources generally don't have the burden of a published and circulated newspaper.

Regardless the medium, the objective is still the same, generate ad revenue. But honest to goodness, gumshoe reporting is as much a thing of the past as newsprint. To stay out of trouble in the near future, just make sure you don't do anything that ends up being Googleable. If it isn't on Google, it doesn't exist.

[Dan Mages]

I'm from a new generation. Why would I want to pay for day old news when I can access literally hundreds, if not thousands of weather, sports, business, etc... news agencies and sources for free online? If I am on a train or waiting somewhere, I can pull out my phone and check the latest headlines. If I want to buy or sell something, I don't check the classifieds, I check Craigslist. When my wife and I bought our house last year, I don't think we once looked at a printed advertisement, we solely reviewed online databases.

In today's electronic information age, printed media is not going to last unless they adapt to the times.

Dan

[Joe Pelonio]

I'm from a new generation. Why would I want to pay for day old news when I can access literally hundreds, if not thousands of weather, sports, business, etc... news agencies and sources for free online? If I am on a train or waiting somewhere, I can pull out my phone and check the latest headlines.

Sorry, but the economics of the world has changed and not every business model is safe.

Dan

Perhaps it's the habit of sitting on the couch by the fireplace as opposed to at my work desk with the coffee. When they do go away, I suppose I can use the laptop and still sit on the couch to read the morning news.

[Benjamin Dahl]

Dan, I don't know how old you are (I'm in my 30's) but I grew up reading the paper and still do. I don't get the local one here but get the NY Times delivered and like having it in my hands with my coffee. I also like reading news online. Flipping through the pages I often learn about something that I would have missed if I was just clicking on links.
I agree with John that if investigative reporting goes away we will all be worse off.
Ben

[Chris Krysinski]

I have a subscription to the Wall Street Journal for both paper and online but hardly read the paper version, we either use it at the stair shop to catch the glue from getting on the floor when clamping some things or I just recycle it all. Next year I'll just order the online edition and save a tree or two.

[Ed Brady]

We read the Colorado Springs Gazette daily. Takes about ten minutes. I hate to watch the news -- especially local news -- on TV with all the commercials and stupid stories. We read the local paper to find out what roads will be closed, what the city government is up to, etc. We supplement the ever-shrinking and worthless Gazette with the WSJ (now owned by Rupert) and get the New York Times on Sunday. I do tons of stuff on line, but I still like to sit in a comfortable chair, drink my coffee and shuffle through the paper.

The Rocky Mountain News (Denver) just folded and the Denver Post is not doing well, I think. Sad.

EDB