As a newspaper enthusiast, I am happy about the success of online newspapers. However, I am terribly sad about the struggle of the print newspaper industry. Like thousands of Utahns, I like to read the newspaper on a daily basis. I prefer the print newspaper to the online edition.
A print newspaper is everlasting and unchanging, whereas articles can be hidden away on the online website in a matter of days. The fact that the print newspaper can be physically held in your hands is a huge plus for me. I suppose a lot of people don’t see the point of buying a print newspaper when they believe they can get all the news they need online.
We are very lucky to have two daily newspapers and I think this would be a good time for the Utah State Legislature to step up and do everything they can to preserve our two daily papers. They can start by mandating that schools start teaching Newspaper 101 as early as elementary school. Bring in newspapers from all across the state. Utah has great newspapers.
The Utah State Legislature can mandate that newspapers are delivered to our schools, mandating a curriculum on reading and discussing newspaper articles from all across our great state. Let our students feel the paper in their hands. Newspapers are a great source of information. From local news to world events, the newspaper strengthens your knowledge on a host of subjects. Students would get entertainment, sports, economic and political news. Reading the newspaper everyday would enhance a student’s vocabulary and writing skills and help them with sentence development. In addition, students would have a clear idea of what is happening in our state, country and the whole world.
There are so many benefits from reading the daily newspaper. Most importantly it would show children at a young age the importance of reading the paper and the rich content of information that lands on our doorsteps every morning.
Reading the newspaper daily is the best habit that you can develop in yourself and in your children, friends and family. But the most important thing it does is bring awareness and purpose to our daily lives.
Willy Bautner
Salt Lake City