By Staff
There were some really excellent articles in this month's American Journalism Review.
I haven't even finished reading them yet, as I have found this is the first magazine I have been compelled to really read, instead of just scan.
The future of newspapers continues to be discussed, as does the issue of where the Internet fits in the future.
In my father's day, everyone we knew didn't just receive one newspaper. We came from the world of the Chicago politics where the major newspaper chose sides and supported different party candidates.
He was an editor for the Chicago American and the Chicago Daily News. Newspapers were a big part of our day.
In the early days I started out as a young girl using the "funny papers" to make copies of pictures with my Silly Putty. Later I would test my artistic talents copying the cartoon characters.
I also learned of the world outside our home where different foreign languages were spoken and different views of the world were believed.
Now our young people have the world at their fingertips in a moment - some in their pockets - through their cell phones.
The Internet is second nature to these computer literate youngsters.
Blogs cover every subject under the sun and discuss things which I would never have been allowed to read or even know about as a young girl.
Those of you who would rather watch the news on television have a selection each night of numerous programs which discuss what is happening throughout the world with live color pictures of the action.
Will the ink and paper of newspapers which I grew up to love and always to associate with my father eventually be replaced?
We worry the readership among young people continues to drop. Some of this I believe is because the habits I learned from my parents while I was growing up just isn't in their own homes today.
With the constant bombardment of media from so many sources - television, radio and the Internet - newspapers aren't the first way to learn the facts. I do believe though they are among the best way.
In the morning my radio goes off and I hear "all the news you need." That broadcast is less than three minutes long and leaves me with questions and wanting more. If I missed something as I am brushing my teeth, it's too late because she has moved on to another 30 second topic.
The nightly news shows are much more in depth and offer more, but I hate that they build up everything with news spots announcing what will be shown in the coming hour like it was the second coming.
Give me the old black and white, which now have color, any day. If I get interrupted I can pick my paper back up. If I don't understand, I can reread the article.
Though I don't have any more Silly Putty, I can still enjoy the comics to put a smile on my face.