Dan Brown, senior online editor at the London Free Press, has a touch of irony in his latest posting - he has been an avid print newspaper clipper for 25 years.
"I’ve cut out pieces from the Toronto Star and GQ and the Detroit Free Press and countless other publications," Brown writes.
If, as some pundits predict, print media will be no more down the road, will computer printouts be all that is found in future scrapbooks, between the pages of books and in boxes in the attic?
Brown says he is adapting.
"When the Internet took over, I kept up the habit, only now I have to take the extra step of printing off a hard copy before squirreling the story away in a shoebox (the antiquated filing system has remained the same). It’s my own personal way of finding the best of the blogs."
Somehow, aging computer printouts pale when compared to the intrigue of finding faded old newspapers and newspaper clippings in stored boxes or at flea markets and estate sales
There are print newspapers in museums that are more than 200 years old. They tell the story of change in newspaper publishing, lifestyles and local history.
Finding complete copies of the Star or Telegram from the 1940s, '50s and '60s is, for baby boomers, a nostalgic delight. Most have two pages of illustrated movie theatre ads. Plus the news, entertainment and sports stories of the day, car ads, comics etc.
Call us nostalgic old farts, but life without print media would be too sterile on several fronts.
So Dan Brown can keep his bland computer printouts.
We'll keep on collecting vintage newspapers and clipping favourite Donato cartoons, memorable columns and other assorted published works until print media's big "30" arrives many moons from now.
"I’ve cut out pieces from the Toronto Star and GQ and the Detroit Free Press and countless other publications," Brown writes.
If, as some pundits predict, print media will be no more down the road, will computer printouts be all that is found in future scrapbooks, between the pages of books and in boxes in the attic?
Brown says he is adapting.
"When the Internet took over, I kept up the habit, only now I have to take the extra step of printing off a hard copy before squirreling the story away in a shoebox (the antiquated filing system has remained the same). It’s my own personal way of finding the best of the blogs."
Somehow, aging computer printouts pale when compared to the intrigue of finding faded old newspapers and newspaper clippings in stored boxes or at flea markets and estate sales
There are print newspapers in museums that are more than 200 years old. They tell the story of change in newspaper publishing, lifestyles and local history.
Finding complete copies of the Star or Telegram from the 1940s, '50s and '60s is, for baby boomers, a nostalgic delight. Most have two pages of illustrated movie theatre ads. Plus the news, entertainment and sports stories of the day, car ads, comics etc.
Call us nostalgic old farts, but life without print media would be too sterile on several fronts.
So Dan Brown can keep his bland computer printouts.
We'll keep on collecting vintage newspapers and clipping favourite Donato cartoons, memorable columns and other assorted published works until print media's big "30" arrives many moons from now.
Speaking of Dan Brown's method of finding the "Best of the Blogs" in Saturday's LFP"
ReplyDeleteLocal bloggers need to tell the LFP sweat shop to either pay up or go pound salt!
EVERY SATURDAY, the el cheapo Freep runs a cheesy little feature called the "Best of the Blogs" in its rinky-dink Comment section.
Not only do they NOT PAY the respective writers for using their copyrighted material, they DON'T EVEN ASK the author if they can use it! Outrageous!
By filling up the paper with as much free editorial content as humanly possible, they generate more black ink for newspaper butcher Quebecor's bottom line.
The sad part of it is that most local bloggers being used/ exploited by the LFP appear to like it for the so-called free exposure. Pitiful!
Show some jam-tart folks and tell the LFP sweat shop to either pay up or go pound salt.
John, my old friend, perhaps it's time for some new glasses ;-)
ReplyDeleteI didn't knock politics in the paper, that was another poster.
I agree the T&A and Sports got readers in the front door and inside they'd find that at least someone had something outrageous to say or that an issue had been spun into a line story that grabbed attention.
My point was that today in this market with these demographics and media trends, the Sun should be what it naturally is and that's a kick ass tabloid along the lines of headless body in topless bar....a rose by any other name so to speak.
And, all joking aside, I do recall you giving me a home to some rants that no one else would touch and for your sage advice when I was frustrated and ready to ignite...which was pretty often back in the day.......for that I remain forever grateful and loyal.
Ian