The first week of October (Oct. 2-8) was National Newspaper Week, so I thought I would write a tribute to our nation's tabloids. I subscribe to several and prefer getting news from them instead of television for several reasons.
First is my control over what sort of news I absorb. Television producers and anchorpeople determine what information I will get on television and in what order. I can scan my newspaper headlines and focus on the articles I want to read.
Most of these stories provide useful information and help me maintain my commitment to lifelong learning. Television news is light on facts and heavy on sensation. Take our local news, for example. Given a choice between reporting the outcome of a city council meeting and a terrible crash in another state, they will always provide more play to the latter. Newspapers are also guilty of sensation; however, as a reader, instead of a watcher, I can skip past all that. Instead, I can focus on getting information about the city council that might affect my taxes or city services.
All media have some bias, but television news is the weightier with political slants. Yes, there are over-the-top biased papers like The Washington Post, which unabashedly appeals to the liberal side of the spectrum. But there are smaller papers that make an effort at balance. Take, for example, The Roanoke Times. In its opinion section, it regularly features Leonard Pitts, a liberal columnist, next to Christine Flowers, a conservative one. So, on the same page, I can see both sides of the coin.
Then there is the mental activity involved. Reading is active; watching is passive. The evidence that newspaper reading is good for maintaining critical thinking skills and avoiding dementia is profound. Unfortunately, the reverse is the case for watching television.
Television news and social media have threatened the newspaper industry's survival, and several small papers have closed shops. It is essential to remember how beneficial newspapers are and how their extinction would be a dreadful loss.
Steve Bailey,
Richmond