What the Decline in the Daily Newspaper Says About Us

I have always been a dedicated newspaper reader. That is probably rooted in the fact that as a high school student I delivered almost 200 copies of the Detroit Free Press each morning. Being up at 5:00 AM and delivering those papers rain or shine probably breeds either a sense of commitment or insanity. Truth is, I still anticipate opening the Dallas Morning News each day. I have my first cup of coffee as I peruse the sports section. After reading the sports section I move on the metro and front sections. I try to devour it all. Even though, thanks to television and the Internet, I might know the results from games the previous evening, there is always a new insight. Seeing it in print sort of makes it official.

I am aware that our world is changing and that printed newspapers might soon be a thing of the past. Yes, I can find the same material on a website. In fact, I can expect instant updates from the newspaper on my computer during the day should a major story break. The Internet is a great resource.

The fact that our dependence on print media is declining was underscored by the results of a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. When people were asked to name the source they relied on most to gain information on their community, the results were vastly different for those over the age of forty, as opposed to those in the 18-39 group. When it came to the local newspaper, only 15% of those under forty named it as their favorite source, as opposed to 32% of older adults. The percentage naming television as their favorite source was almost equal, 12% vs.14%. The favorite source of information for those between the ages of 18-39 was the Internet, with 22%, compared to 13% of older Americans who relied on their computers for information.

While this study did not include teenagers, I suspect we would see a similar trend. During my years on the faculty at Lutheran High School of Dallas, copies of both the local newspaper and USA Today were made available in the school library. Most of the time they would go untouched. If I referred to a newspaper article in a classroom setting, I usually got a puzzled look from my students.

Probably the most disturbing aspect of the Pew Research Study was the fact that 30% of those between the ages of 18-39 did not name a source for their information. Experience tells me that teens mirror that. Most are clueless when it comes to national and world news, unless it invades their personal world. In my mind, a daily newspaper should be required reading for all young people. Whether they view it at the breakfast table or on their i-phones doesn't matter. The fact that we are so focused on ourselves does bother me.