Every morning, I wake up around 4:30 so that I can pack up my kids and deliver newspapers with my wife. While not the most glamorous job by any means, it brings in some welcome cash and will allow us to meet some financial goals a heck of a lot sooner than if we didn't. I have to wonder, though, about the longevity of the newspaper in an increasingly digital and 'green' world.
Think about it for a second. I and many of my early-morning comrades deliver a thick, folded stacks of newsprint and advertisements every morning. Most of the ads are likely ignored by a majority of readers, and the news is from the day before and has usually been reported on on TV and 'teh interwebs.' What then drives the need to receive a new edition of the local paper each and every morning? Sudoku puzzles? The comics? The infamous Sunshine Girl?
While I take a copy for myself every morning, I find that I spend more and more of my news-gathering time on the internet. I find it far more informative to consult a variety of online sources, including a growing number of blogs, to get my daily dose of info... and I can do it right at my desk and with very little effort on my part.
In an age where I constantly hear about how horrible I am for not doing enough for the environment, combined with the continued dominance of digital media, how is it that the traditional newspaper can survive? I don't doubt that others have pondered the very same conundrum, but instead of seeing a revitalization of the paper all I see is a realization that we might as well keep on doing what we're doing. For now.
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Interesting fact: Most people who get the paper subscribe for the coupons.
What a sad tale for my career.
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