Andy's Homage To Newsprint

Andy Rooney Reflects On The Steady Decline Of Newspaper Circulation

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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Although I might lose an argument claiming that I am one, I think of myself as a newspaperman first. I do write a newspaper column that appears in a lot of newspapers and I wouldn't trade those for all the stations that broadcast this commentary. The money I'd trade.

Right here in my CBS office, we get eight newspapers every morning. I can't say I memorize all of them but I read a lot of what's in those papers.

I worked briefly for a newspaper before WW II and, on the strength of this weak association I got a job with the Army newspaper "The Stars and Stripes," in London in 1942. It was a very good, professional newspaper with a staff of reporters and editors who, in civilian life, had worked for major newspapers in big cities all across the United States. I was easily the least experienced staff member and I was lucky that I didn't get fired before I learned how.

I suppose it is, partly at least, because I do think of myself first as a newspaperman that I worry about the newspaper business. Things are not going well for them. Too many papers are going out of business. We've all been reading about the decline of newspapers for years. First radio, then television and now the Internet all compete with newspapers.

There has been a steady decline in the circulation of almost all newspapers. But it's strange because there is still no decline in the faith that people put in their newspaper. Readers check their newspaper every morning to see whether what they saw on television the night before is really true.

We read our newspapers too for all the good pieces of information that television has no time for.

Newspapers are subjected to a kind of scrutiny that television news is not. If it's on television, you don't cut it out, save it and check the facts later.

Television news is on the screen one minute and gone the next. We're lucky that television journalism has been as good and reliable as it is because of operatives like Ed Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Tom Brokaw, Tim Russert, Bob Schieffer, Peter Jennings and countless others, but it is not the same as print journalism.

There are more pictures on television, that's about it.

[wangxp-2009]

SAVE OUR BULE PLANET!(even now,it''s not so bule.)
SAVE OUR DISAPPEARING FORESTS!(someone is cutting.)


STOP PRINTING NEWSPAPERS!
LET''S READ DIGITAL NEWS!

NEWSPAPERS MUST BE SEEN IN MUSEUM!
READING SHOULD BE 1010(mean digital)!

[wangxp-2009]

newspapers should only be seen in Museum and MUST not be printed on billions and millions of papers. We should get news on INTERNET and TV,RADIO and something else, But absolutely not on papers!

[hifrommia]

The internet cannot exist in any ''real'' fashion without newspapers. Newspapers provide content and the interent cannot exist without content. It''s a symbiotic relationship. The internet allows more people to have a voice via blogging etc., where they can discuss views different from those of the papers, but ultimately, all content was generated FROM newspapers or news sources.

[txnmxn]

America is not reading newspapers because of the bias in them. Example, a Pro Obama friend was pointing out a hit piece on McCain, I told her to count up how many negative stories were on McCain and how many on Obama. Result, 5 hit pieces on McCain zero on Obama. I then had her look for positive stories for both candidates Obama six, McCain zero. I know Obama is Messiah to many but he%u2019s not perfect. Biased and unbalanced reporting occurs, which CBS is guilty of. I don%u2019t read U.S. newspaper trash AT ALL. To me U.S. journalism died this year. Including TV, I don''t watch anything in news on CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, and I''ll barely watch Fox. I go to the internet for a more balanced view of politics. I can read England''s telegraph.co.uk, or the Guardian.co.uk. They had the balls to point out Obama''s hypocrisy (I am my brother''s keeper) and then let his half brother live in poverty in Kenya, or his Aunt in Chicago living in the slums. With $4.2mil in booksales, I think .5% donation to George Obama and his aunt would be proof of his generosity. But, will your sheeple know about this? You prefer to do hit pieces on the white guys like McCain and Palin and leave the minority alone, as long as it''s a progressive (translation=liberal) minority. This minority see''s through your tactics, I vote against spreading the wealth (Obama''s words to Joe the Plumber) and letting those of us who EARN our living KEEP our living. Not spread it to those less ... motivated to get out and become wealthy!!!

[gtrupiano]

Andy, at the end of your piece you recited names, vintage and recent, of well-known and appreciated news reporters, including Walter Cronkite, Doug Edwards, etc. and very obviously neglected to mention Dan Rather. This is not the first time I''ve noticed that 60 Minutes deliberately slights its less-than-perfect alumnus, and it is rather a cheap shot. Mr. Rather may not be very popular nor admired for his public arguments with Presidents Bush, but in his more pedestrian fashion as "reporter" he has always been outstanding.

Gretchen Trupiano

[caseys_dream]

Newspapers are missing the boat. I read many of the most popular newspapers online like, the New York Times and the Washington Post. I would hope that the newspaper business would fully embrace the internet. They should develop a business model that does away with subscribition fees but is profitable from online advertisement. This would be environmentally friendly and reach far more people everyday nationwide. I see ads for the New York Times Weekender Package" for home delivery. Instead they should be advertising that everyone can read the New York Times everyday, constantly updated throughout the day. I do admit that it would make it harder to find the newspapers I use to light my grill in the summertime.

[bangalore19]

Andy,

Your views on print journalism are muddled to say the least. People don''t clip out news articles and fact check them anymore. At least not those under age 65. Maybe retired people have time to do that. Who reads the newspaper the next morning to see if what they saw on t.v. was true? wouldn''t that be redundant? Why the history lesson? It sounded like my grandfather when I ask him a simple question that requires only a simple answer. The shot you took at TV made it sound like there is only tabloid journalism there except for a select few. Maybe you should watch a little closer. Oh, and Andy - I watch your segments that I miss on TV on the internet.

[mrhill5]

Dear Andy,
First of all you may be the only reason I watch 60 minutes, Bless you! (Note I is not say God) Second what''s up with the Vigara ads on the web site, at our age we if we had a young willing partner we would not need this stuff.
And last, to you college:
Dear Mr. Croft and CBS News:
Thank you for your great coverage of the new first family. However I think Bob Eubanks has beat you to the punch! Are you kidding, Barack and Michelle on the Newlywed Game, thank you GERALDO RIVERA.

[brokfarm]

Mr.Rooney hit home. We have lived in a very rural area for over 40 years, and had 2 newspapers available at a nearby store every day, one from the state capital, one from the nearest large city which is 100 miles away and one delivered to our home early early AM from nearby Oregon. In the last month every thing has changed. Now, no more newspapers to buy at the store, nor at any store within 100 miles and our morning newspaper comes at 2 PM. Enjoy the papers you get!!
PS..WE NEVER MISS SUNDAY MORNING and 60 MINUTES.

[elihapilady]

As a former 30 yr print journalist VETERAN, YOUR COMMENTARY WAS EXCELLENT!!