Newspapers Are (Were) My Life
When I was a kid my dad owned a couple of businesses he inherited from his father, a liquor store and a news store. The news store sold newspapers, magazines, comic books, candy, greeting cards, lottery tickets — you get the picture. I went to college on money earned from basically selling newspapers and the like. My father’s store (see photo) helped me discover my love of magazines. In fact, I eventually went to college and earned a degree in magazine journalism. All my life, I’ve read newspapers and made a living working for them. So, recently, when I observed my local paper, the Boston Globe, redesign itself about three times over the last several months in order to save money, it felt unsettling.
I like newspapers. Does that make me sound old? Yeah. But I do. Sure, it’s hard to turn the pages when you’re reading a paper on the subway, but I like the variety of stories that are thrust in my face every day, stories I would never have pursued on my own. This experience is so unlike the way younger people tend to get their news today. They often pursue stories they are interested in, rather than welcome a panoply of information that they might not even dream of seeking out. I think that provides such a narrow window on life.
Today I heard some startling news. In Cambridge, Mass., famous Out of Town News, which, for decades, has occupied the beating heart of Harvard Square, is closing up shop. Their specialty: foreign newspapers. The owners of Out of Town say people aren’t buying papers anymore; they are getting their news online instead.
It feels like this is all happening so fast. My whole newspaper life is flashing before my eyes. And it’s very sad.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
[...] Here is the original post: The Boomer Chronicles » Blog Archive » Newspapers Are (Were) My Life [...]
November 19th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I agree and most of the news people get online come from newspaper originally, so it’s like cutting off your foot to not support newspapers. Our paper The Roanoke Times has felt the crunch too and is turning to more local stories, which was disappointing to me. Instead of Iraq being on the front page, we get the VA Tech Hokie Bird.
It only seems real if it’s in the paper and I can hold it in my hand.
My sister Trish and her family are in the Herald today.
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1133330
November 19th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
I like having the newspaper spread all over the table. Our newspaper is so dismal we don’t bother, but whenever I’m in a town with a real newspaper I get one.
November 20th, 2008 at 3:14 am
It was nice of you to drop by my blog and good to meet another making the trek into the 50’s. I agree…it’s looking good and nothing to get upset about. Looking forward to looking and feeling good at 50 in a two weeks. On another note…I agree with your feelings about the newspaper. I grew up with my dad reading the paper and have enjoyed that tradition with my breakfast in the morning. My husband has been after me to read my newspaper online. I too like to feel the paper and it will be hard to change when the time comes. It’s just not the same to read it all online. Connie
November 24th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Picture this. I live in media-centric New York City. To find out about anything local of my neighborhood, the one close to Columbia University, my only source is the student newspaper, “The Spectator.”
By standards of undergrad publications, it’s pretty good, publishes Monday through Friday but not in summer, has a long illustrious history. But it’s basically college oriented. And so, I depend on the New York Times, a national newspaper whose Metro coverage shrinks along with the rest of the paper.
Perhaps the free papers I’ve seen in other neighborhoods and in other cities will grow stronger–and more readable. Hope is our mantra!
November 26th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I can’t believe that newsstand is closing! I live in LA and our oldest daughter goes to Tufts but she’s doing junior year abroad now. I forwarded the article to her. I am so sad. I love Cambridge. I told her about the changes at the Harvard Book Store, my fave book store, and she was concerned. And are you old because you love newspapers? Yes, I’m afraid to say, but then so am I. The first thing I do when I visit some place is grab the paper. I’ve learned to read online. It’s not really ‘reading’ if you know what I mean but oh well.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Cambridge has changed sooo much! The Tasty is gone, the Wursthaus is gone, and on and on. Also, I read the NY Times online and it’s just not the same.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:38 am
[...] and magazines are in my blood. As some of you know, I grew up with a dad who owned a news market (newspapers, magazines, comic books, candy, lottery tickets, etc.), so I have always had a special [...]
March 29th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
[...] friend has worked in journalism for decades. I’ve written a number of times about the role of newspapers in my own life. For one thing, my dad owned a store that mainly sold newspapers, magazines, cigars, [...]
September 11th, 2009 at 11:40 am
[...] South River, New Jersey, where I grew up. My brother recently unearthed this photo of my dad in his news market. The store sold candy, cigarettes, comic books, greeting cards and the all-important lottery [...]