It is not uncommon to bear witness to some outlandish and absurd debates at my place of employment. Although often times these quarrels have about as much merit as the age-old “shampoo or conditioner” debate, this week I overheard one that piqued my interest. One of my argument-prone co-workers became extremely frustrated as he tried to defend his subscription to The New York Times in the face of multiple antagonists who posed the question, “Why pay for something that you can get for free?”
Following this logic only leads to further questions, such as: Should I use my neighbors’ wireless internet just because I know their password? (Hypothetically speaking, of course). Or what about public television? Should I continue to watch “Antique Roadshow” for free even though a pang of guilt overcomes me every time one of those announcements stating, “This program was sponsored by viewers like you!” reminds me that I am part of the free-rider problem?
For now, I am willing to shelve those questions and answer them on the same day I get around to deciphering whether that tree in the forest that no one heard actually made a sound. For me, the issue of whether it is worthwhile to support print media is not so much an ethical question as it is a matter of preserving a declining way of life.
It seems every time I mention to someone I am thinking of pursuing a degree in journalism he or she feels it is his or her duty to inform me “journalism is a dying art, you know.” At this point my overactive imagination takes over and I picture a poor, suffering newspaper connected to an IV bag in a hospital bed with no one by its side to comfort it in its last moments on earth.
Well, I’m not quite ready to pull the plug on poor old Newsy.
True, the Internet may be replacing print media at an increasing rate, but that does not mean books, magazines and newspapers should be rendered obsolete. There is something truly unique about picking up a crisp new edition of the daily newspaper and leisurely perusing its contents or cracking open an old volume of a book that countless others have read that gives the reader a true sense of connection with the subject matter. This simply does not happen when squinting through the harsh glow of a computer screen to read the news online.
Not only that, but reading online further encourages skimming an article rather than reading it in its entirety. We turn to the Internet when we want information fast, and usually this means there is not time to read carefully and think critically about an article’s contents. If a reader becomes even slightly uninterested in an online reading, it only takes a few quick clicks of the mouse to navigate away from the site leaving him prone to form an uninformed opinion on a topic without having heard the whole story.
Reading an actual newspaper or book requires one’s full attention without distraction from compulsively checking e-mails or Facebook. Being in a state of focus harbors a better environment to interpret new ideas and ultimately makes for a more informed individual.
Perhaps I am too nostalgic for my own good, but I do not think there is anything wrong with preserving an entity that can unite us to our past. My parents saved a newspaper from the day I was born and I still marvel at the connection I feel when paging through to find out exactly what was transpiring the day I came into this world. The feeling is hard to describe and I truly do not think looking up articles from the Internet from that day would produce the same effect.
Normally I am in favor of “going green,” but when it comes to newspapers I feel eliminating them completely is dangerous. We are already a society too focused on doing things faster and more efficiently. Anything that gets in the way of our need for speed is abandoned by the wayside. The day all print media disappears may very well be the day when people stop reading full texts all together in exchange for mere online summaries. Reading newspapers encourages us to slow down, take our time and think critically about our world.
Holly Hartung ([email protected]) is a sophomore intending to major in journalism.
