I successfully enjoyed my third Thanksgiving dinner Sunday afternoon. Finally, Thanksgiving can be put to bed. (“Put to bed” is a newspaper term for when the newspaper is sent to the printer.)
I was enjoying some time with friends this weekend when someone present made a comment about newspapers no longer being practical. More directly quoted, the comment was, “Who still reads those with everything online?”
I can only speculate as to a person's reasons for subscribing to the paper, but most of the time it’s because they want to read the content in the paper. See the pictures of the acquaintances, family, friends and neighbors. We don’t post everything online, otherwise, I could maybe see the point. But having the paper on your kitchen table after picking up the mail, I feel, gives a person motivation to pick it up, read and look at all the photos.
Our main demographic at the paper are readers over 50. My friend, the one who made the comment, is a millennial and thus, not your general newspaper reader.
I generally feel print newspapers will be fine until those 50-year olds are no longer reading the newspaper 20 or 30 years from now. The question then, is whether millennials will start picking up the paper to read.
If not, then I imagine they had little connection with their local community to begin with. Our focus is community newsing. Local stories that matter to the people in our local area. The only real reason a newspaper wouldn’t be successful is if it stopped writing stories that interested local readers.
Deb Bently and I interviewed a new writer this week. She has multiple years of experience writing for different publications and I’m very optimistic. I gave her her first writing assignments, and, if they go well, we will officially have a new writer to introduce.
It was refreshing to see a new face so enthusiastic about journalism. It’s been a couple months of talking with applicants looking for the right hire. I’ve made the mistake of hiring someone too quickly in the past. I’ve performed every job I ask others to do who work for me at the newspaper. I enjoy all of them. (Some more than others.) It is difficult for me to ask someone to do a job (in the newspaper world) if they don’t find enjoyment in it. After all, I would be happy to do it. Alas, there are only so many hours in a day.
“Kindness is one thing you can’t give away. It always comes back.” — George Skolsky