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Lander Bethel's avatar

We’re losing newspapers and we’re losing readers. One of my online subscriptions has a section called deep reads. They are long, in-depth, detailed stories that are very enlightening. But it takes time to read them. Our cultural ADD doesn’t help. There’s still nothing quite like reading a real paper or a news magazine.

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Jul 30
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Lander Bethel's avatar

Thank you, Ed. I appreciate that very much.

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Catherine Pfenning's avatar

I put away my cell phone a few weeks ago. It's taking a long summer siesta without me. Suddenly I found the need to finally subscribe to our small town's newspaper since I'd no longer be seeing the facebook group updates throughout the day.

We have only a couple thousand people in our town. No stoplights. One grocery store, three Lutheran churches. But having this newspaper come in the mail once a week has been the best decision I've made in a long time. I love it.

My favorite is the section of "In Years Past." 50 years ago, little Johnny was catching grasshoppers in a nearby field, accidently got too close to some horses and got kicked! Thankfully, he was okay.

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Cindy Gallop's avatar

The fun and teaching experience is often found, more times than not, in a small town newspaper…

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Susie S's avatar

My hometown newspaper puts out "The 50 Years Past" out also. So interesting and fun to read through it.

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Te Burt's avatar

I wish mine did. I tried to interest them, submitted a couple of tales. Instead, they publish on the front page every arrest since last publication, plus photos of every auto wreck and house fire in the county (it's a small county).

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Steve G's avatar

The internet gives….the internet takes away.

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Jules Powellhi's avatar

Very true Steve G… local papers on the internet are just not the same, no news print on your fingers or anything like that… the smell of the newspaper, delivering your own newspaper routes… this will totally fade away some day unfortunely sooner than later!

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Susie S's avatar

Love me some newspaper smell, Jules! ☺️

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Julie RN's avatar

Profoundly said!

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Jul 30
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Susie S's avatar

It certainly does sound like something Betty Davis would say, Ed. Didn't she say something else like, hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride?

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Te Burt's avatar

Standing at the foot of a staircase and, if I'm not mistaken, with a cigarette in her hand. “Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!”

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Susie S's avatar

YES, that was it, Ed. Lol. Bumpy NIGHT! ☺️

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Susie S's avatar

And, no doubt, with a cigarette in her hand.

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Jul 30Edited
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Sharon Thomason's avatar

I hope they’re wrong, too. Nothing like holding an actual newspaper 📰 in your hands, and the local news is just the best!

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Susie S's avatar

I miss the smell too of newspapers.

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Sharon Thomason's avatar

Me too!

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Te Burt's avatar

And new books when they were printed with ink that had lead in it. Now, they're photocopied somehow. Just ain't the same.

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Te Burt's avatar

Just like holding an actual book in your hand. Reading a computer screen just isn't the same.

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Sy Anne's avatar

The smell of the press room is also amazing.

And the feel of the first run, hot (literally) off the press!

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Cheryl Yarborough's avatar

Got to love Granny! I miss the newspaper too! We could read what was important to us- at our own pace, hate the tv news. I miss the store ads- but most of them closed & gone too. But I have to shop at 3 different grocery stores to get the sales & deals. I miss the cartoons , crossword puzzles- also I read ads on my phone and can barely see - I have to blow everything up. Ah well, time marches on & everything changes- I don’t believe all the changes are improvements- Glad I grew up during the Good Old Days! Love to you ,Jamie & pets.

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Cindy Gallop's avatar

All changes are not improvements…

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Julie RN's avatar

We have come so far on this one way street of “progress”…and there is no turning back. We can only look in our rear view mirrors, and be regretful of what is now only a fading memory…the newspaper.

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Susie S's avatar

So true, Cindy.

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Jan's avatar

I can’t imagine watching the news on TV. You actually can read it instead. At your own pace and only the articles you are interested in. It would be difficult on a phone though.

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Bea Swartz's avatar

Oh Sean! I can’t believe I missed you and at the antique store at that! My Town! Yes for 29 years….would loved to have seen you! Used to have a booth at the antique store. Hope you had time for a tour.

You come back now, ya hear!

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MAM's avatar

Our local print paper, named as a Daily, prints only three times a week now. However, my digital newspaper, has twice the news, posted every day, and I don't have to pay for paper and ink. My subscriptions and readership grow by the month. The Daily also has a digital version, but it's basically a PDF of the printed version, so nothing much there. I've always liked to hold a newspaper and read it, but when I got fired from the daily, four days later (almost 14 years ago!) I had my news source up and going! We still receive the print paper, but the owner doesn't always pay his bills, I hear, and so I wonder how long it will last. My digital version began and remains with the mission: "to separate fact from opinion." People prefer that and the print "daily" is quite biased, which limits its readership. Many newspapers have failed because of the bias, as well as the exorbitant price of paper and ink. Who knows what will happen in the future! Yes, I would like to have a print paper, but I prefer spending the time and money on accurate news.

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M. Stewart's avatar

Our town still has a local paper. Actually two editions. One Wednesday and one on Friday. But considering the cost of what it was 40 years ago it is expensive. I believe it is now a dollar. But still has local political issues, graduates, athletes and letters to the editor.

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Bill Moore's avatar

When it all comes tumbling down, and no one has 'tricity or chocolate flavored Covid shots, I believe community papers will make a comeback. Pretty sure Granny Grimes will still be the main feature. Hopefully you and I will be writing about her.

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Cindy Gallop's avatar

I like your prediction!

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Carla Walrath's avatar

Yes sir! Check out Granny’s drivers license! And wish her a happy birthday as well

I think the loss of community newspapers is leading to the lack of connectedness, friendliness, and unity in cities and townships. I moved to a new home in a small (pop. 3000ish) town. It’s been difficult getting involved because there’s no information center; no source of activities, if you will. I’m going to have to be more proactive in discovering what all is going on!

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Bruce Hartnett's avatar

In our little Farm town {~200+/-}, 3+ miles away, we have a Bulletin Chalk Board outside the Post Office, for Notifying the community about events and such. Like, we have a Community "Keenagers (over 50) Dinner", sometimes with entertainment, on 3rd Monday evenings.

Hmm, come to think of it, if I remember correctly, I even built that back in the 80s, and used Chalk Boards from our old High School, I'd salvaged before it was demolished.

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Cindy Gallop's avatar

Great great PR for community newspapers…..I TOTALLY AGREE! A wonderful connector!!!!

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M Drake's avatar

I miss unbiased news, with answers to the who, what, where, and why of it. Papers were taken over by satan. Just real full of “it”.

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Sy Anne's avatar

In the many newspapers I worked at, I have never seen Satan on the staff.

You’d be surprised at how many conservatives work at newspapers.

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Jules Powellhi's avatar

Another awesome read! I’ve lived in small towns in both NC and Ky. Both had a local papers and one of them ( at the time a small college town) had the college newspaper too! In the early 80’s both were the bomb!💣

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Cindy Bailey's avatar

❤️

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Sallie's avatar

I hope they are wrong too. We have all lost a lot losing our local paper. I miss the feel of it,the smell of it and a special time each day to escape the everyday and learn about other people in the community.

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Jules Powellhi's avatar

Yep! Weddings, funerals etc…

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Cindy Gallop's avatar

Birthdays…..yard sales…..missing dogs…..

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Patricia Dianne Gibson's avatar

I miss newspapers too!

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Linda Hubbard's avatar

❤️💕

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Paul McCutchen's avatar

hope you had a good weekend

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Linda Hubbard's avatar

I did! Same back to you!💕

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