Silicon Insider: Farewell to Newspapers

There was a time, just three years ago, when I got three newspapers each morning. Living in Silicon Valley, I, of course, subscribed to the San Jose Mercury News. I bought it for the business stories, the movie listings and neighborhood news. Having once worked for the paper, there was a nostalgia factor as well.

I also subscribed to the San Francisco Chronicle — not for the news coverage, for which that newspaper is notoriously bad, but for the columns and features, for which the paper is justly esteemed. The Chron was also the paper of my childhood; I learned column writing from the likes of Herb Caen, Art Hoppe and John L. Wasserman.

Finally, there was The Wall Street Journal, which I mostly read for the editorial and feature pages — dipping into the news section mostly for story ideas. I used to dream of writing for a paper like the Journal — and like many of life's dreams, once it came true it wasn't nearly as magical as the fantasy.

I also occasionally picked up the Sunday edition of The New York Times, mostly because it was America's Paper of Record, and also because I had once written a column for the newspaper — and even turned down a job there because I didn't want to leave the Valley.

Right now there is little competition between digital and traditional printed media. It's an apples and oranges thing.

Years ago I read lots of newspapers. Everyday. And every month saw TONS of magazines like Science and Mechanics, Popular Mechanics, Mechanics Illustrated etcetera at my house. In the 80's that began to stop. Why? Simple. The content began to decline. There is very little in any of the magazines today for me.

But the newspapers are still coming. It's because of the local advertising. Wife gets the daily and weekend papers not because of content but because of the local advertising. I swear the papers could be filled with nothing but page after page of "fjdklwope rjeksljfkdiehjk hrejkslhrk ehrjks hejrkl'e jjkelsflkjk kejkrleo0fjioenkm,fkd,l jkljkl'djjifkle'" and we'd still be getting them for the coupons and to see what's being offered at Stop N Slop or some other store.

Sure, there have been attempts to replicate it via the Net, but until something as convenient as a paper comes along - electronic ink perhaps - the newspaper is king.

prisoner6

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