There's more news in a newspaper

Yes, I know I'm going against at least 250 grains, the general drift and the zeitgeist, but I've gone back to the future. For the first time in my life since 1987 I have subscribed to the print edition of a daily newspaper. The International Herald Tribune to be precise. Over the last five years I have increasingly hit my very tight, very niche RSS feeds for news before I ever glance at the BBC, NYTimes or Guardian front pages. As a result, I'm less informed. The Twitter feeds from NYTimes World and IHT are very useful - they don't overwhelm like some other newspapers - and I regularly click through to read more on a story I first see there, but... over time I have come to realise the way I have configured the internet to deliver me my news has made me an expert in some areas, but ignorant in far too many more.

I got into the habit of picking up the IHT whenever I passed the local newsagent. A newspaper the size of the IHT is manageable, it's readable, doesn't break the delivery boy's back, doesn't beg you to bin sections, advertising supplements and the countless other bits of throwaway claptrap that stuff newspapers with non-news stuff. The IHT is news on paper. There's a beginning, a middle and an end. When I go to a newspaper website there are umpteen beginnings, a gazzillion middles, shedloads of ends and more than a few deadends. I don't read the news online, I reject what I don't want to read and read what I think I want/need to read. I simply miss too much, too often and don't get enough depth in a logical manner from the internet. RSS feeds are invaluable for my work and interests, podcasts are great for niche news interests, I don't really watch TV and so, I've come to the conclusion that until news on the internet is as readable/logical/intuitive as the print item I'll stick with the deadwood edition while it's still around.

Comments

[umami]

We get the print edition of Financial Times & The FT Weekend. The financial lingo is a front, if my husband doesn't read it within 2 days I gift it to the dogs. The non-financial parts are great, full of news and articles of things you want to read and know, delivered succintly and clearly.

[Robyn]

Welcome back to the Stone Ages. I will never ever give up my morning paper, nothing goes better with coffee. IHT and FT weekend are our subscription choices.

[Graham]

FT Weekend also a fave here - when I have the time...

The thing is, the real point here I suppose, is that we read news differently online than we do on paper - sounds obvious I know - but I think paper makes you less ignorant/more likely to read things you wouldn't read online.

I guess it taps into this whole "Is Google making us stupid?" debate.

[Charles Frith]

Al Jazeerah Twitter feed is good for my money.

[Graham]

Ooh yes, good one. May well replace NYTimes with that. And keep up the psychedelic tweets...