I miss the ritual of newspapers

[wildbeast]

I'm old enough to have experienced the ritual of weekend mornings spent with my husband, breakfast and a cup of coffee, reading and sharing the newspaper.  It made for a very leisurely and shared experience.  We might chat about this or that, we each had our favorite sections, and it just felt really nice to connect with each other after a long week of work, but to do so in a very relaxed way.

After newspapers began to disappear, I think our local paper still gets published but it's just a scrawny little thing now, we started to replace the paper experience with online.  But having each of us on our devices is not the same thing.  It feels very isolating to me.  We're not connecting with each other at all, but with an anonymous world instead.  Our attention is directed away from each other.

I realize it's pretty ironic that I'm posting this online.  But I haven't been able to find something to replace the paper ritual with.  I'm posting this here in the hopes that some people have been able to create some nice weekend morning rituals with their partners that don't involve being online.  And specifically, a ritual that can be done in your pj's and without going outside (besides sex)!  :) 

[Making Cents]

I miss this too. I feel really sorry for my students (college) who never knew this and don't read the news at all. They are so smart and capable, but they don't trust what's online or know how to evaluate it for reliability, which makes me really worry for democracy and voting in a digital future.

This is actually one of my new year's resolutions to switch back to paper news. We now get the NY Times (even though we don't live anywhere near NY) and our local paper delivered on Sundays. DH and I make our own brunch and lattes with our fancy coffee machine and pour over the sections together. Heaven!

Is there a non-local paper you respect that could at least give you national/international news? USA Today, Washington Post, and others also have national delivery.

[TheWifeHalf]

That is why my husband still has the newspaper delivered here. It still seems to be the same size

[HBFIRE]

I love reading the Wall Street Journal.  But the cost for the print version is quite a bit more, so my wife and I just read the digital version each day over coffee.  I do think it's worth paying a subscription for a good news source, as media sources that get their revenues solely from advertising tend to provide poor content.

[Imma]

I remember long Saturday mornings reading the newspaper when I still lived at home. We used to get it around lunch on Saturdays and we would fight over the most popular sections while eating tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

I tried subscribing to a paper newspaper after I moved out, but I found out I didn't really have the time to read it every single day.

Sometimes I go to the library to read the Saturday paper, but it seems there seems to be less interesting content than 10-15 years ago. It seems the articles are shorter and there's less research journalism. It's quite expensive nowadays (almost €4 or €6,50 when delivered) and I also feel a bit guilty about all the wasted paper. But I do really miss the tradition.

[wordnerd]

I was JUST thinking the same thing this morning. When I was a kid, my brothers and I would pile into our parents' bed and read the comics while they sipped coffee and read the front sections. My son was running around my bed this morning, and my childhood memory brought back such warm feelings.

[SunnyDays]

How about crossword puzzles?  The harder the better, that way you have to ask each other for help.

[Shinplaster]

We discontinued our local paper a few years ago.  It really wasn't worth the money or hassles with delivery.  But I like reading an actual newspaper and not the online version, so I buy the Globe and Mail and the weekend Toronto Star every Saturday.  We read the Star on Saturdays, and the Globe on Sundays.  For both Mr. SP and me that scratches the paper itch perfectly.

[Cranky]

I'm perfectly happy to get the NYT delivered to my doorstep every day, and the Sunday edition of the local paper, too.

I think the NYT throws in the digital edition for free, and my dh uses that, but I like the print version a lot better. I actually cut out articles and post them in my classroom.

[Rural]

My husband and I read the news online together, sharing a laptop.

[renata ricotta]

My husband and I read magazines and newspapers together every morning while having our coffee, for about 30 minutes.  It's the best part of my day, because I work long hours a lot so whether we'll have the evening together is not predictable (but people at my job are pretty good at not getting started for the day until 9 or 9:30). 

Does it need to be a local newspaper for you to enjoy the ritual?  We are in LA so we get the Sunday edition of the LA Times delivered, but if we lived somewhere else we could do the same thing with the NYT.  Or if you want to not be quite national, you could subscribe to the Sunday edition of the closest metro area (like if you lived in say, Santa Barbara, I would still suggest getting the LA Times because it's more "local" to you than the NYT). 

My husband and I also like to walk to our local bookstore every couple of weeks and pick up a magazine or two.  We like the Atlantic, New Republic, and Harper's.  They're more expensive (like $7-12), but it takes us about 3 weeks to read through an entire edition, so I find it a good time value for the money.  Furthermore, if I want print journalism and local bookstores/newsstands to stay in business, I have to put my money where my mouth is.  I can be frugal elsewhere and cut down on Amazon purchases before I cut that expense out. 

[katsiki]

You might be able to get your fix from the Economist.  I find the articles very informative.  I usually end up with a few to catch up on when I have time.

It is a little pricey though.  I have heard that some libraries provide digital access as well.

[kaizen soze]

You might be able to subscribe to just the Sunday paper. Also, our local paper gives a stripped down Sunday paper away for free at the library. Pick it up on Saturday afternoon, read it together Sunday morning.

[jeninco]

We get the NYT delivered, for all the reasons you listed, and because I want to support real journalism. It's pretty expensive, which we handle a few ways:
1.  it's a gift from someone who would give me something pretty big anyhow, who
2. Gets a deal on it because it's a gift subscription from someone with her own subscription, and
3. I give it to the neighbors in the evening, so they read it a day late. This means it can't pile up in our house, and they trade me for the crappy local paper, so I can see what the sheriff's been up to. And high school sports.

[DreamFIRE]

My newspaper always came in the afternoon, so I never had a morning paper.  It seemed wasteful to me to have the news printed out when I could get as much news as I needed online, so I stopped renewing 20+ years ago.  I haven't missed a regular printed newspaper much at all.  I do still get a freebie newspaper once a week with ads and coupons.

[joonifloofeefloo]

I, too, love to sit with a paper made out of paper (though now and then, not regularly). I used to be able to sit with the Globe and Mail at a Starbucks, but I haven't checked for that option recently. If I need to scratch a paper itch, I would do same as Shinplaster and grab that one. (I loved its humanities section, whatever they call it.)

I spend a certain amount of time online, and definitely reach a limit regularly. At that point every day, I absolutely need to switch to paper books, paper magazines, paper worksheets, paper textbooks, paper drawing pad, or a cardboard puzzle.

[TheWifeHalf]

How about crossword puzzles?  The harder the better, that way you have to ask each other for help.

THH does the puzzle before reading! At least once a day I give him some 'fact' that I learn, in case in might be in a future puzzle. (Usually from a Snapple lid)

[LaineyAZ]

Another life-long print newspaper reader here.  In Phoenix we can get a partial week delivered:  Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Of course, we're retired so we can read at our leisure.  We check out the food ads in Wednesday's version and then hit the grocery store/s for their deals.  Weekends we read about local events, movie reviews, nearby travel spots, etc. plus the more in-depth issue coverage.

As others have said, I also subscribe because I want real journalism to continue to exist.  Our paper just won a Pulitzer for their reporting on the border Wall   
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona-republic/2018/04/16/arizona-republic-and-usa-today-network-win-pulitzer-prize-border-wall-project/521740002/

Recommend watching the movie "The Post" to see how precious the Fourth Estate really is to our functioning democracy.    Doesn't matter if you pay for digital or print, but financial support is critical.

[pachnik]

I am also a newspaper reader.  Since I was in my teens and am now in my mid-50's.   I usually buy a copy of the Vancouver Sun on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.  I don't really have the time to read it every night so this schedule works for me. 

I also want to support journalism. 

[marble_faun]

I've gradually shifted back to paper versions of magazines and books. 

Reasons:

(1) The feeling of reading paper is more pleasant.

(2) There are too many distractions on a digital device -- I want to be immersed in what I'm reading.

(3) I want to read the news, and then be done. I don't want to spend all day inhaling click-bait, trying to keep up.


Would love to get a paper version of the Sunday NYT!  Will explore this.

[vivian]

I've gradually shifted back to paper versions of magazines and books. 

Reasons:

(1) The feeling of reading paper is more pleasant.

(2) There are too many distractions on a digital device -- I want to be immersed in what I'm reading.

(3) I want to read the news, and then be done. I don't want to spend all day inhaling click-bait, trying to keep up.


Would love to get a paper version of the Sunday NYT!  Will explore this.

We get the Sunday NYT for these reasons, plus my kids recognize I’m reading the news and not random web surfing.


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[Linea_Norway]

At our cabin, we like to eat a good breakfast, drink a lot of tea and watch the birds outside and sometimes a squirrel. It requires a god portion of sunflower seeds and a feeding try in front of the window near the dining table.

[SnackDog]

The quality of most local newspapers has sunk to the point that it is not worth reading.  My own hometown newspaper is still around but front page news is typically some nonsensical local human interest stories.  Some find that entertaining but I don't consider it news. The "real" news in the paper is generally wire feeds and reprints from other sources which are readily accessed online.  I prefer Google news as I can set tags based on my interests and skip the rest.

[Zola.]

I buy The English Times at the weekend on occasion. £3 for so much material, all sorts of great stuff in it, enough reading material for a week!

Its great with coffee with my wife on a Saturday morning :)

[dcheesi]

I get the Washington Post digital edition on my devices; it's $4/mo through Amazon if you have Prime. I happen to live in the DC metro so it also functions as a local paper[1], but even for the national news it's well worth it. Even though I could find similar stories online, something about reading the news collected in a specific app (and with a coherent style etc.) makes it feel more like reading a paper. Plus it downloads the stories ahead of time, so it's a good option when you're stuck somewhere with spotty data reception.

[1] AFAIK the only way to see local news is to use the WaPo "Classic" app; the "new" WaPo app is more for the national audience.

[Davnasty]

I've gradually shifted back to paper versions of magazines and books. 

Reasons:

(1) The feeling of reading paper is more pleasant.

(2) There are too many distractions on a digital device -- I want to be immersed in what I'm reading.

(3) I want to read the news, and then be done. I don't want to spend all day inhaling click-bait, trying to keep up.


Would love to get a paper version of the Sunday NYT!  Will explore this.

If you mean advertisement and other link distractions, this may help. Most articles drive me crazy without it.

https://www.instapaper.com/save]

I've gradually shifted back to paper versions of magazines and books. 

Reasons:

(1) The feeling of reading paper is more pleasant.

(2) There are too many distractions on a digital device -- I want to be immersed in what I'm reading.

(3) I want to read the news, and then be done. I don't want to spend all day inhaling click-bait, trying to keep up.


Would love to get a paper version of the Sunday NYT!  Will explore this.

If you mean advertisement and other link distractions, this may help. Most articles drive me crazy without it.

https://www.instapaper.com/save - Use the "Instapaper Text bookmarklet"

If you mean distractions as in multiple tabs and the ability to click away as soon as you have another thought, that's a little trickier.

[KTG]

I do miss the ritual a little too, but I also find that with the 24 hour news cycle, most of what is printed is already obsolete by the time its in my hands. There are very local newspapers though, like for the little town I am in. Somethings that have useful info on new businesses coming to town and other local events, I do try to read those. But for national and especially international stories, things just move too quickly for printed news anymore.

Unless you are reading special, in depth, investigative stories, but I don't see those in newspapers much. Those are normally in magazines, which are also behind on most of their stories too.

So now its the iphone and coffee in the morning.

[marble_faun]

If you mean advertisement and other link distractions, this may help. Most articles drive me crazy without it.

https://www.instapaper.com/save - Use the "Instapaper Text bookmarklet"

If you mean distractions as in multiple tabs and the ability to click away as soon as you have another thought, that's a little trickier.

I use apps for the NYT and the New Yorker, which help reduce the desire to click away somewhat. But I am easily distractible, and often it's just not enough. Even an e-reader like a Kindle creates too many distractions for me. Knowing I have the option of reading any book in the world, or checking out reviews of other books, draws my attention away from the work I am trying to read. So I don't use the Kindle anymore. Even when I'm traveling, I'd rather haul a stack of books in my suitcase.

I know it's not for everybody, but for my own mind and need to concentrate... analog works best. 

I do miss the ritual a little too, but I also find that with the 24 hour news cycle, most of what is printed is already obsolete by the time its in my hands. There are very local newspapers though, like for the little town I am in. Somethings that have useful info on new businesses coming to town and other local events, I do try to read those. But for national and especially international stories, things just move too quickly for printed news anymore.

Unless you are reading special, in depth, investigative stories, but I don't see those in newspapers much. Those are normally in magazines, which are also behind on most of their stories too.

So now its the iphone and coffee in the morning.

Personally I've found that the 24-hour-news cycle leaves me frazzled and worried all the time. I appreciate being informed, but one update per day is all I really need on most national or international issues.

It is a shame that local news has become so lightweight.  If anything, I would love up-to-the-minute updates on things that affect our community directly... whether a parade, a gun-toting maniac, changes to the garbage pick-up schedule, or a hurricane. But this sort of hyper-local coverage is exactly what's missing from the news barrage. Our local news sources are shallow, slow, and inadequate. I seem to know way more about what is happening in New York than in my own city.

[HBFIRE]

Personally I've found that the 24-hour-news cycle leaves me frazzled and worried all the time. I appreciate being informed, but one update per day is all I really need on most national or international issues.

That's a really good point.  With so many different news sources now with the internet, they are all competing for eyeballs, and it's taken the click bait drama to an entirely new level.  Exhausting really.  It's so difficult to find an objective news source with good journalism that isn't just trying to monetize your eyeballs.  WSJ is the best I've found.

[solon]

+1 for the Wall Street Journal, in print.

It's in-depth, well thought out, and there's just enough to let you know what's going on, without the endlessness of the web. And I love to linger over it with coffee on a Saturday morning.

[atxian]

WSJ in print is a nice luxury I budget for


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[LiveLean]

Every morning growing up as a kid I would wake up to the smell of coffee and cigarettes, my dad having been up for an hour and chain smoking and pounding coffee. I'd take the sports page and go into another room.

I still get two newspapers delivered - local rag and WSJ.

But the next cup of coffee or cigarette I have will be my first.

[wildbeast]

I had been meaning to order subscriptions for delivery since I read all the great responses from people who still get the paper and enjoy the ritual.  But some life stuff kept getting in the way and distracting me.  Until yesterday.  We walked to the store and picked up the Saturday paper and enjoyed a leisurely lunch outside with it.  It was so nice that I promptly signed up for delivery and next weekend we'll be enjoying it without having to get out of our pajamas!  :)

Thanks, everyone!

[Cranky]

My local paper does still have quite a bit of local news, and some of it is fascinatingly cryptic. It's very interesting to try and figure out what they *aren't* saying! Also, one of my favorite former students has become a reporter for the local paper, so that's fun.

I think a lot of local papers make their money reporting on local sports.