As daily newspapers start to close around the country, it symbolizes the end of a long era in which newspapers dominated as an information and advertising distributor. But with the digital age gaining momentum, these dailies are dying a slow death. And while younger generations growing up with digital media don't see much of a loss without a daily newspaper to pick up, those that have read them all their lives will miss them badly. I know I will. The San Francisco Chronicle was the newspaper I grew up reading, and still do to this day. But it's owner, Hearst, has already closed the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. And if it can't sell the loss-ridden Chronicle, it will close it too. So the Chronicle, it appears, has a short future as a print and ink newspaper. Which is a sad reality. Because once a formerly great daily like the Los Angeles Times dies, it's gone forever. Maybe digital offerings of newspapers will build the industry back, but it's not likely they'll be as big and robust as they were as print products. Information sources have decentralized too much for that. It remains to be seen if digital news sources will fulfill the free press role as well as newspapers did. Will it be worse for those wanting professionally gathered news to read, or will it be better? Only time will tell.
To read Mark Eric Larson's book of essays "Don't Force it Get a Bigger Hammer," a newspaper journalist's memoir with names changed when that seemed best, visit:
http://www.scribd.com/Mark%20Eric%20Larson
His second collection of essays, "The NERVE of Some People's Kids," will be on the above site in May 2011.
