Are we witnessing the death of the newspaper?

Editor: I am one [of]those persons who pick up the local newspapers every Friday. In fact, my weekend is not complete unless I have all three papers to peruse. These days I pay particular attention to the editorials, the regular columns, letters to the editors. Depending on the subject matter, a few feature stories may capture my attention. There was a time when I attempted to read the papers from cover to cover, but I no longer do. I don’t find them to be as attractive and compelling as a few years ago. Rushing to buy the newspapers these days seems like a waste of time and a waste of money. Here are my concerns:

1. The news stories are redundant. It is likely that you have heard or read them before.

2. There is little or no effort to offer any depth or refreshing angle to a story.

3. Ads, interesting ads, are few and far between. In fact, most of the ads are placed by certain government departments, the courts, and lawyers’ chambers.

4. The physical quality of the papers appears to be deteriorating. The printing is poor and the paper is torn around the edges.

5. There is inconsistency in the publication. There are days when no paper comes out and there is no explanation.

Perhaps, we are witnessing the slow and painful death of the newspaper. I certainly hope not. As long as the papers are published, I will continue to buy. However, I urge the publishers to take a deep look at their respective publications and seek to implement measures to improve them.

Some may argue that there is no place for the traditional paper since everything is going digital and online. That may be so, but there is a place for the traditional. Electronic devices cannot totally replace newsprint!

Philbert J John