To be honest I can’t remember the last time I actually bought a newspaper. As far as I get is to stop by the newsstand every time I am at the corner store and take a look at the headlines and maybe on occasion read the first paragraph of a story that gets my attention. This doesn’t mean though that I think that newspapers are totally without value.

There are times where I think that we are some times placing way too much emphasis on our online fascination with things like Twitter and Facebook and the hurried transformation of news delivery. I was reminded about this when I read an excellent post by Alex Wilhelm over at The Next Web where he talks about the power of physical news – as in actually taking the time to relax and read a newspaper.

I picked up a copy of the Wall Street Journal ($2), and deposited myself into one of the lovely Southwest comfort chairs, and read the paper.

I mean, I hit every page of all the sections. Even the one pager on sports, trying as it was. This is what happened: I learned more in the last thirty minutes reading the Journal than I have in the past week reading hard news (not tech related) online.
I am a bit surprised by this revelation. I had never tried to compare the utility of reading offline and on directly, but it makes sense. Allow me to explain.

You read more, and more diversely when reading a newspaper. One story leads you to the next. And, when you are in the middle of section A, you see much more than a series of headline links. It drives you to keep reminding.
Once you complete the story on the health care reform bill, you note the article on the deficit, and then current Afghanistan policy, and so forth.

Online, I am always in a bit of a rush, moving towards the two sentences of the article that comprise the news bit of the point, before bouncing to a picture of a rabbit with a pancake on its head. You think that I am kidding.

To put it plainly, when physical newspapers are gone (talk to me in a few years, maybe three), I am going to miss them. Not too much, this only happens at backwards, anti-blogger, airports, but the point is made.

Thanks Alex, and point well made my friend.