Have you hugged a newspaper today??? Why not!

I am becoming very skeptical about the future of newspapers in print!

You know this is going to be terrible for historians and writers if the newspapers in print continue to slip away.  I myself prefer a newspaper, even though I dash around to all of the on-line new sites during the day and night.

In the past local history, national history, and world history, have been clipped and snipped and pasted into scrapbooks for future generations to view in museums and archives. 

History hoarders tell me that have kept every one of my local history articles for their children’s children.  Right now I have 2 over 100 year old newspapers on my desk to read and get information from, information that really can’t be gleaned in many cases from a history book written on the subject.

It is said all of the news will be scanned and saved for the future…but in what form?  Will someone have to continually update its form to be viewed on new software as the old is discontinued?

Obituaries of the past are so useful in locating relatives when doing genealogy, some of the information is of course a little tilted or skewed…but overall it is there…dates, places, relatives, reasons for death...all of it.  Museums are filled with this kind of thing.

To truly know about your area in the past the old newsprint is vital…let alone know what's going on locally.  Think of those famous newspapermen of the past like Ben Franklin and Mark Twain..we have actual copies of what they wrote!

I really wonder how many people are going to print things out to clip and save...and if they do…is the ink they use going to survive or will it fade???? Good question…

So support your local historian and museum…buy a newspaper…enjoy holding it while you sip your coffee or tea….and remember  newspapers have been around for a long time……and I hope it stays that way!