Newspapers shouldn't be allowed to just die

I think I've blogged enough about girls and sports lately. And it won't be long until I'm blogging about press credentials as my Spring Break starts Thursday morning in St. Louis.

So for this blog, I'm switching gears and talking about something else I love more than a normal person probably should (or would).

Newspapers.

There hasn't been a day that has gone by since I started working at the Daily Egyptian in which someone or something somewhere has informed/reminded me that newspapers are dying. Whether it be a guest speaker in a class, a fellow reporter, a news report or a blog. Newspapers are "dying" and I get it.

People are buying less newspapers because its content is found for free online. Advertisers are advertising less because it's cheaper online and the classifieds have shrunk because of places like craigslist.

Yet, newspapers seem to be thriving online. Plenty of content, just like the hard copy with online exclusives ... you know ... a teaser for you to go online and get that extra tidbit. News consumers continue to read and link newspaper clippings via the Internet, so things can't be all that bad.

As for college kids like myself, it's a daily struggle.

Contrary to popular belief, the DE is not a class. It is not a club. It is a job. A legit newspaper. The staff consists of real people, 18 to 20-something-year-olds who are getting their first glimpse of life in the real world.

We are reporters. We are correspondents. We are beat writers. We are editors. We are photojournalists. We are page designers. We are everything that you expect out of your regular run-of-the-mill newspaper.

Except we don't have our degrees. Yet.

So when I see my friends and co-workers visibly upset about The Rocky Mountain News actually dying, it hurts.

It's bothersome. It's sad.

So when the Internet goes down and we can't post our stories to the Web, a simple and oh, so true thought crosses my mind.

This is why newspapers cannot die. Because when the Internet goes down and all of the technology we have grown accustomed to fails us, there will be a hard copy of the newspaper awaiting us in a stand on the corner. At the convenience store. In the hands of a guy in the middle of the street. On your front step.

The point is that there is always a need for that daily hard copy.

Because as long as there is someone who wants to go deeper into that investigation the 10:00 p.m. news spent 30 seconds on, the daily paper that can go into a 1,000 word detailed account of its happenings should be there.

As long as there is someone interested in a good human interest story, newspapers should be there.

And for the fan who wanted to know how their favorite player performed beyond that highlight slam-dunk, home run, catch, pass, kick, shot, throw, etc., newspapers should be there.

And to be completely honest, despite the big news of the week, I feel as if they will be there. And I want to be a part of it.