As a former journalist, I know and love the smell of the printing press. While I appreciate the value of our senses in the intellectual process, I am more than willing to forfeit the feel of inky paper between my fingers if it preserves the daily deliverance of local news.
Early on, I saw the writing on the wall. I have been a digital-only subscriber for many years now. I believed that if we could get to the point of replicating the reading experience through hand-held devices, that would be enough. Whether we like it or not, it has to be enough if we want to keep The Tribune and all of our daily newspapers going.
Newsprint is not the end-all. The news that it prints is. I am grateful to have The Tribune in any form. Change is inevitable and necessary and brings new ways of doing things and added advantages. While I can no longer feel the paper between my fingers, at least I still have the aroma of my morning coffee.
Most importantly, what has not changed are the talents and dedication of a newspaper staff and editors who make keeping us informed their life’s work.