Friday, May 25, 2012

Now I Know How the Dinosaurs and Buggy Whip Makers Felt


Everyday life as we know it in New Orleans will cease to be come autumn. 

The grand old lady of print journalism, The Times-Picayune, will beef up its digital alter-ego and reduce the number of days it publishes a print version from everyday to Wednesday-Friday-Sunday only.  The move will leave New Orleans as the largest city in the USA without a daily newspaper.

The staff was blindsided, but that's another issue.

After carefully monitoring the outpouring of confusion, grief, anger, and disbelief on social media  following the announcement yesterday, the powers-that-be at the paper ratcheted up the spin machine.  Today's headline screams, "NEWSPAPER TO MOVE FOCUS TO DIGITAL."  The first paragraph lauds the upgrades to be made to NOLA.com (which said upgrades I already dislike -- but then again, I'm not a big proponent of change): "As the digital world has evolved, so too will we." 

Glossing over what the reading public will lose, it continues,"Beginning in the fall, the newspaper that so many of you rely upon will continue to publish on a reduced schedule of Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays." Thanks for throwing us a bone there, guys, by "continuing to publish."

Intellectually, I understand that the shift to digital service is inevitable -- heck, I do a lot of research and news-gathering online already.  But, there's just something so physically satisfying about unfolding that newsprint, and popping it open, and having to wash my hands afterwards to get rid of the ink that rubbed off on my fingers.  There's something so comfortable about digging through the yellowing recipes I've clipped over the years; the favorites not only yellowed, but also stained with splashes of their ingredients.  I can already attest that the effect is not quite the same when perusing through recipes that I've sent through the printer on sterile white typing paper.  (Is there such a thing as "typing paper" anymore?)

When we started having work done on the house that displaced the kitchen table, Bouie and I began to lunch on the front porch, and we both enjoyed it so much that we've continued the practice even after the kitchen is (mostly) put back together.  I take my lunch, a Milk Bone for Bou, and the "Living" and "New Orleans" (that also contains the editorial pages) sections so I can read them at leisure while Bouie stands sentry duty.  He keeps all those evil, marauding people pushing strollers or walking little yappy dogs at bay.  It's just not the same holding the iPad.  Even Bouie seems to sense how rapt I'll tend to be, depending on whether I'm holding flapping newsprint or a tablet computer (that doesn't always hold its Wi-Fi connection).

*sigh*

So, as the Young President "evolves," so too does print journalism, I suppose.

At least kids will still be able to sprawl on the floor to read the funny papers on Sunday morning.

For awhile.

10 comments:

  1. (Is there such a thing as "typing paper" anymore?)

    Nope. My package sez "copy paper."

    I hear ya about newsprint. I subscribed to the WSJ for years and years and years and it was a morning ritual for me. I cancelled my subscription when I moved to THPoNM coz they don't deliver here, it's by mail only. I renewed my subscription when I bought my Kindle but the experience isn't NEARLY the same.

    Dinosaurs. That's US.

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  2. There's something so comfortable about digging through the yellowing recipes I've clipped over the years; the favorites not only yellowed, but also stained with splashes of their ingredients.
    I'm sooo with you on that one Moogie. I have a whole drawer full that I just haven't got around to yet. Might have to get off my arse and find someone to cook for other than myself.

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  3. Sadly, Buck, yep.

    And I'm with you on having a whole lot that I haven't gotten around to cooking, Deb. We've been in a kind of culinary rut around here lately. Too much "home improvement!"

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  4. Maybe by then you can read the Dem-Gaz in Little Rock. But I understand the feelings.

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  5. But, there's just something so physically satisfying about unfolding that newsprint, and popping it open, and having to wash my hands afterwards to get rid of the ink that rubbed off on my fingers.

    Okay...I'll go ahead on and be the contrarian here. I grew up with newspapers, just like the rest of you. I actually started college as a "Journalism" major, because I loved 'em so much.

    I have fabulous memories of a "Splash" headline, The Crossword Puzzle, the Comics, Ann Landers, Billy Graham, Steve Harvey (his "Bottom Ten" in the sports section is still without a doubt the greatest thing one young man could ever read).

    The obits...the high school score results from Friday Night (with the stats, too)...the Po-leese blotter, etc.

    But, the truth is, it does not bother me one bit that dead tree media is dying. They did it to themselves. I got turned off to print journalism while I was in college, trying to become one of them. Long story...

    I have not opened up a newspaper since I cancelled my subscription to The Shreveport Times roughly 15 years ago. I got pissed off at an editor who tried to paint Newt as some backards heathern that hated chirrens, and old peoples.

    I laugh about it now. The "Times of Shreveport" is delivered to the hospital where I work. The formerly gynormous glob of newsprint looks like a Target circular the Mailman leaves in your mailbox now.

    They deserve it.

    I hope they all fail.

    And...GOOD LUCK FINDING A JOB!!!, to all y'all Times-Picayune, soon to be ex-employees.

    Y'all did it to yourselves!

    I'm cruel...I know.

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    1. You ARE cruel. You need one o' them Snidely Whiplash mustaches to twirl when ya write stuff like this.

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  6. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with Andy on this one. I have enough junk and paper stuff around this house without a stack of newspapers. Every morning I sit with my coffee and computer and take a look at the world headlines. It is kind of like my daddy used to do, but not. My mom has a huge pile of papers that makes me a bit crazy.

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  7. Maybe so, Mary Ellen -- hi!!!

    I think I understand what you're sayin', Andy, but I'll still miss it. Shoot, we even have a landline!

    I read AP stories first thing on my iPad, Lou, but then I have the Times-Pic for dessert.

    Sigh.

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  8. My Mom and Dad have a land-line.

    And, they still take The Shreveport Slimes, too!

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  9. Great minds, Andy. Great minds.

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