By Staff
This Christmas I imagine a lot of those gifts under the tree had new technology I never dreamed of when I was a young girl.
With tiny phones you can carry in your pocket you are able to not only talk to another person, but send text messages, connect with the Internet, take photos and even play games.
When I was small, my house always had a collection of daily newspapers. My father worked for the Chicago American and the Chicago Daily News, now both gone.
Newspapers were our main source of information as to what was happening in the world.
Television news programs were something my mother enjoyed listening to until her death at almost 90.
She wanted to be informed about politics, who was running for what and what the candidates views were.
Local newspapers kept my parents up to date on what was happening in their community.
My father served for years on the village board and even as village president. My mother was president of the Business and Professional Women's Club and she too stayed involved and informed.
I continued the tradition of wanting to know what was happening in the Chicago area, even after I moved to St. Louis, Mo.
I subscribed and read the Chicago Tribune for years, even when I came here to Michigan. Finally in the last few years, the lack of time and the cost caused me to finally drop my subscription.
When I too joined the ranks of newspaper reporters, I was surprised to learn how few people actually receive their local newspaper.
I was always amazed that they weren't more interested in what was happening in their children's school or what their village council was proposing.
The short news spots on our local television stations give some information, but to me they always leave me with more questions than answers.
When I hear a sound clip on the radio, I often wish I could go back and listen more closely, as I might miss a name or other important information.
An actual newspaper in my hands is still my favorite way to get news.
Apparently I am not alone.
According to a survey of the Rossman Group of Michigan voters, "daily newspapers provide information on current events to more Michigan residents than any other single medium," unless you combine cable and network news.
They found 27 percent prefer newspapers, 23 percent network news, 22.7 cable and 12 percent radio. The Internet only scored 10 percent.
Four percent say they learn their news from family and friends. I wonder where they get their information?
Of course when you break these numbers into age brackets, as expected the more than 65 prefer the traditional newspaper and the youngest voters, the Internet.
The Web is where the future will be and with it will come more interactive features.
I would hate to think newspapers so loved by my father will end with my generation.
Even so, he would say, what's most important is to stay informed, no matter how you do so.