Sunday Morning

 

Morning knowledge gained

Anticipation and the

Book Review with espresso

I Love Actual Books But Not Actual Newspapers

Just a few days ago I announced how I had abandoned the Kindle 2 in favor of the tactile experience of books.  Today I found myself not reading the tactile paper edition of the New York TImes (Sunday edition) but the online version.  In fact, at one point today I was also reading the Sunday edition on my iPhone on the NYTimes iPhone application.

I have always read newspapers.  The actual paper copies – I have moved all over the country and the first thing I do when I move is subscribe to the local paper.  Until May 2009.  We moved to our new apartment and a few days later received the subscription renewal notice for the Dallas Morning News. We did the math – to subscribe for a whole year it was over $400 dollars.  It didn’t help that the newspaper always came after I left for work – so If I read it at all it was a quick skim in the evening.  We made the decision to forgo subscribing to the newspaper.  It did take some adjustments mentally.  For weeks I would look for the paper only to remember I did not renew it.  Then I didn’t look for it anymore.

Like many people I get my news online. I check the news many times a day, usually just a glance at the headlines. At least once a day I do read an entire article – the weekends even more articles to read because I do have a bit more time. Would I pay for online content?  Yes.  Would I pay $400 for online content. No.

I know many are predicting the end of print media.  I do not fear the end of books – I have been to the Kindle 2 world and although it definitely had it’s benefits it lacked character and even romance.  I fear newsprint has always had less character and that will be their demise.  But after the initial shock will we really miss the tactile feel of newsprint?