Why Newspapers Matter, Part 3

Another Letter to the Editor published in The Pottstown Mercury from a longtime newspaper reader who can't imagine his day starting without a newspaper.

'Newspapers have brought the world to my doorstep'

Over the years, newspapers have brought the world to my doorstep, and for that I shall always be grateful. When I was a youngster back in the 40s, both of my parents spent time at the breakfast table with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and that's probably where I acquired the habit myself. When I was 10 or 11, my mother arranged for me to take a paper route, and for years I delivered daily copies of the Cleveland Press and Cleveland Plain Dealer. The experience taught me a sense of responsibility, as well as provided a way to earn money for college. And, of course, I read the headlines as I tossed the papers onto doorsteps.

My memories about newspapers and the newspaper business are fond ones, for when I was discharged from the Army, my first three jobs involved working on newspapers in Michigan.

For virtually all of my life, I have enjoyed the printed word because wherever I lived, it kept me in touch with my community and the world around me. Every one of us bases decisions that affect our lives on information accumulated from the written and spoken word — by neighbors, friends, teachers, the news media. Good news, bad news — whatever it is — enables us to make decisions about our lives and the lives of those around us. And newspapers contribute greatly to that flow of information.

Nowadays, my wife and I subscribe to The Mercury, and we spend time each morning perusing the columns of type for all kinds of information —politics, sports, entertainment. Those who say they get their information from the Internet, I suspect have not enjoyed newspapers and other periodicals in their hands. I understand that nowadays entire books can be downloaded and read on a computer, but somehow embracing a PC, rather than a 300-page novel or daily newspaper while resting comfortably in a chair, just isn't as satisfying.

Life without a newspaper? I can hardly imagine it. Thanks to you and all those associated with The Mercury for keeping us informed every day, especially at a time when world events are changing our lives in so many ways.

COURTLAND C. SMITH
Lower Pottsgrove

See related posts Why Newspapers Matter, Part 1 and Why Newspapers Matter, Part 2.