At a recent networking event, I introduced myself to a guy who — when he heard where I worked — said, “Newspapers are still a thing?” I’m sure the look on my face told him I didn’t like that question. He quickly followed up with “I’m kidding,” explaining that he was new to the community.
After more than two decades in this industry, I’ve heard my fair share of comments like that. I smile and share View Newspaper Group’s story of growth and success as an example of how print newspapers are still “a thing” and a very important thing at that. I did so in that encounter and encouraged the newcomer to subscribe to — and read — the local paper to be sure he knows everything important going on his new community.
On top of minding one’s manners, comments like this about newspapers are ill-advised because they make the person saying them seem — to put it nicely — uninformed. If you have a newspaper in your community and you don’t know about it, shame on you. If you don’t read it, you’re missing out. Whether you have access to a local paper or not, reading a national daily paper should be on everyone’s to do list. I know I’m preaching to the choir, because you’re reading a newspaper now. I share this in hopes that you’ll help spread my message.
I felt vindicated in my crusade recently when I learned of a cool Gen Z-er who is getting famous for touting essentially the same message — read a print newspaper.
Kelsey Russell, a 23-year-old grad student at Columbia started making headlines last year for her role in getting Gen Z to read print media. She does so by making videos in which she reviews newspaper articles explaining the context along the way. She began making the videos after asking for a subscription to the New York Times for her 23rd birthday. In an interview with Slate, she explains more.
“I decided to subscribe to the New York Times for a few reasons. The first was, I was feeling very dumb. I felt like I didn’t know what was going on in the world. I am a sociology and education major, and I felt like I was missing a lot of context — political, economic, and social — of the issues I was studying. I’ve also never enjoyed reading the news online.”
Russell, who publishes her videos online to reach her fellow Gen Z-ers, now shares analysis of articles from newspapers around the globe with the goal of getting more people — no matter their age — to read a print newspaper. She is being praised for the work she’s doing to enhance news literacy.
Russell acknowledges that feeling dumb for not knowing how to digest the news in print media can be a barrier for some people They don’t know where to start. Her answer is to start with something that interests the reader, maybe it’s fashion or sports or cooking, and go from there. I’d say, if you have a local paper start there.
Russell said in a Today Show interview that she knows some people avoid the news because it can lead to feelings of anxiety or powerlessness. But Russell says reading directly from news sources instead of learning about events through social media has provided perspective.
“I noticed that with articles I would read on social media, I wasn’t getting the full picture of what was going on,” Russell says. “Now that I read the newspaper, I almost get a sense of relief because what newspapers do in newsrooms is they bring in a bunch of experts.”
Russell added that reading the newspaper has also helped her mental health, allowing her to consume news at her pace and walk away when needed. Plus, it’s brought her back to fond memories of reading the newspaper as a child with her dad.
I’ve only watched a few of Russell’s videos thus far, and I like them. Her advice to viewers and readers is to analyze and look for the “why” in a news story. Her pointers for those of us in the print media are welcome as well, including advice on how to attract readers, an important outside perspective in my view.
The team at View Newspaper Group can also agree on her recent aim to highlight positive news. And her advice that, no matter the topic, find what connects us versus reading to find who is right and who is wrong. I appreciate her effort and couldn’t agree more on the importance of news literacy and reading the print newspaper. By branding yourself as someone who reads a newspaper, you’re branding yourself as someone who wants to be informed. That’s a good look at any age.
Why do you read the newspaper? Email me at ecaswell@mihomepaper.com.
Emily Caswell is the Brand Manager for VIEW Group, the branding division of View Newspaper Group.