Friday, February 11, 2011

Black and White and Read All Over

guess it sounds kind of dinosaurish, but I like to read the newspaper. Yes, there is lots of news online, but it’s not the same. With the newspaper there is a certain serendipity as you flip through the pages. Who knows what stories you’ll find? If you’re just following tabloid headlines online, you miss out on a lot.

I read the Daily News which used to be called the Valley Greensheet and the first page really was green. Although it covers the news of the whole Los Angeles area, it focuses a little more on the San Fernando Valley. Although focusing on local news seems kind of dinosaurish, too.

I took a journalism class at the local community college a while ago. It was kind of like shutting the door when the chickens have already gotten out. I already had a degree and had worked on the student newspaper of two different universities, writing news stories and a column. Still it was an interesting class if for no other reason than the students. Community colleges attract the whole spectrum of people, so there was a man who knew World War II first hand, and a kid raw out of high school who couldn’t deal with the concept on not wearing his baseball cap in class.

The first thing the instructor talked about was what made something newsworthy. Right up there was proximity, but that was before the Internet made the whole world local.

I often end up cutting out newspaper stories because they are relevant to what I’m writing. I am just beginning on the seventh crochet mystery, tentatively called Knot What It Seams. Both Molly and her friend Dinah have issues with what I call text talk. It started with shortening names. Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC. Sunny Delight became Sunny D. Then between emails and texting, all hell broke loose or AHBL.

Not only was there LOL, but thank you became TY. See you later became C U. I saw this great article in the paper about even more words that had been turned into letters. It was great information for Molly and Dinah. As I cut it out of the paper, I could just hear Molly and Dinah throwing their hands up that OK had become K. The period was added to signify the discussion was finished. I’m sure Molly and Dinah would have a few things to say about LMAO or LMAOOF, which are supposed to show how hard you’re laughing out loud.

Then there’s WTF, which is a way of saying the F word without saying it and makes you look edgy and clever.

I added the article to my stash. Yes, along with a stash of yarn, I have a stash of newspaper articles. In fact, the whole plot of Knot What It Seams came from a newspaper article.

So old fashioned as it seems, I like the newspaper. I’m sure they will be appearing on I Pads soon if they aren’t already, but it’s not the same experience of holding the paper in your hands and folding back the pages. I still like my news in 3D.

What about you?

5 comments:

Linda O. Johnston said...

I just finished reading the LA Times before booting up my computer, Betty. I suppose I'm a dinosaur in that respect, too--but I always do the crossword online! The physical paper is always a great research resource for me, too--lots of stories about pets and pet rescues.

Monica Ferris said...

I used to read the paper every day, but our local paper serves mostly to raise my blood pressure to dangerous levels, so I quit. I miss the local features, the human interest stories, but what I miss most are the coupons.

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda, I knew there had to be other newspaper readers out there.

Monica, I like the human interest stories, too. I didn't even mention the columns. The columnists are really who personalize the particular newspaper.

Linda said...

I love a "real" newspaper, especially the Sunday paper! Sunday mornings are not ever the same if I don't have the comics (in color LOL) to read with my coffee, and everything gets perused at leisure (except the sports section and the classifieds).

Glad to know I'm not the only person who enjoys the genuine article.

Betty Hechtman said...

Linda, Sunday's paper is my favorite. I read both the Daily News and the Los Angeles Times.