Support your local newspaper by buying one today and showing that you value this institution that has been so important to our nation’s past. Freedom of the Press was something central to our founding fathers, and really – what if the press weren’t there. Many important news stories have been uncovered by newspaper reporters spending months at a time researching and cultivating sources. While there are many useful on-line news sources, few have the wherewithal to cover stories so in depth, nor the funds to pay reporters. And many online news sources report what began as stories in a hard copy paper, or their online sister publications.
with a cup or coffee or tea, on the train on the way into work, or on a lazy Sunday, some prefer to get their news online, in crisp black letters against a bright white background all made of glowing pixels on a screen; others love the calming rustle of the pages as you turn each one, fold it back and move on to the next. Whatever way you get your news, consider buying an actual hard-copy paper today, to show your support for the idea: that newspapers – in all their forms and flavors, and with both their flaws and their weaknesses – are important to our society.
What would lack of newspaper coverage and in depth reporting have meant during the times of Watergate and Vietnam;or stories brought to light about problems with the Iraq war or healthcare scandals. Newspapers are not always right, by any means, but the free press has brought many important things to light. Check out this article fr more details: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200901u/fate-of-newspaper-journalism.
According the story below on National Buy a Newspaper Day, many of America’s newspapers are deeply in debt and in danger of closing. As a Public Relations Professional, I have personally seen many of my friends and colleagues at regional newspapers, some whom I have worked with for 15 or more years, get laid off in the last few years. I do not blame the reporters or the editors, and much of the trouble can be laid at the feet of the publishers and especially the larger corporations that have made huge mistakes.  They have been slow to realize and change in the face of competition from online sites such as Craig’s List which gives free classified ads and online job sites where ads cost less to run that at a a newspaper, but have larger reach; ad revenues that have shifted to other online sites, and the newspapers are finally beginning to realize this and try to catch up. They have been slow to realize that they can use the internet to leverage the reporting and advertising they already have, in different ways. Many newspapers are finally beginning to get it – I just hope it is not too late.
It can be difficult to change the course of a large ship, and it does not happen quickly. And I do not want to play the blame game here. Nor do I mean to make a complex issue simplistic. I have just noted a few small things that may have been contributing factors. And I hope in the comment section here, you can help to set me straight. Please join the discussion.
http://www.buyanewspaperday.com/ check out this simple site, and if you are a member of Facebook, check out the links to newspaper stories there that tell more of the story than I can here. Join the Facebook fan page as well.
Yes, newspapers have had their bad days, and headlines we wish they had not printed, but they are a part of the fabric of our society. I vote to keep them there by buying a newspaper today. If you already buy or subcribe to a newpaper, please suggest that a friend do so, or buy gift subscription for a friend. Even if you normally read online, buy a paper today as a symbolic gesture; if you already subscribe, encrage a friend to buy one. Too many times I ahve seen a favorite store close, and only learned of it after it was to late. Let’s help make it not too late for newspapers – whether they all eventually move completely into cyberspace or many survive on papper that rustles quietly as you thurn the page, I vote to keep them around.
