Internet now provides 24/7 fix for news junkie

Peter Bernier gave us this link to article on Huffington Post blog dated April 9, 2009 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-debate-over-online-ne_b_185309.html Thanks Peter.

Less than 10 years ago I wrote a piece declaring that in my view the National Post was "a great daily read." I added it to my daily newspaper fix which at the time consisted of The Globe and Mail. Today, it is very seldom that I buy either newspaper but check their online editions daily along with the Toronto Star, http://realpolitics.com/ and http://cnn.com/. If a major story breaks that interests me I go the local newspaper's web site or CTV or CBC sites for details. However, for a lifelong news junkie like me, I can get all the news, features, sports, gossip, editorials, entertainment to fix my addiction daily with a click of the mouse on the internet. And it is updated 24/7.

BREAKING NEWS: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is closing down its print version on Thursday, it was reported today. Details at http://www.thestar.com/business/article/603111

I started my newspaper career when I was in high school writing for the long gone Mid North news in Chapleau, Ontario and continued at Wilfrid Laurier University (then Waterloo Lutheran University) as editor of the student paper The Cord for two years. After university I worked as a reporter and editor at several dailies across Canada before becoming a teacher.

Anyone who knows me well will confirm that newspapering is in my blood, and always will be, but it seems to me that the days for us to sit back with our local paper are coming to an end. In recent weeks I have seen several articles expressing concern about the situation facing print dailies in North America -- for example, the San Francisco Chronicle may close and others may not be far behind. There are many reasons and in later piece I will address some of them.

Last week, The Globe and Mail ran an unscientific online poll asking readers if it is important to have a local newspaper. The results certainly did not reflect my view that the days of the print daily may end. Forty six percent said yes, it was important as a way to keep people informed, while 26% said they keep government accountabale and only 18% agreed with my view that online content fills the gap.

I would be very interested in hearing your views on this one. For me, over the past nine years it has been a gradual shift from the traditional print newspaper to internet news junkie, and I realized it had happened during the American presidential election in 2008. And let me be clear, the newspaper has been an integral part of my life, and my experience as a reporter and editor led to employment and enjoyment, and provided the opportunity for me to meet some of the best hard working people I know. However, the change is here.

Comment here or email me at mj.morris@live.ca