A moving tribute


It's apparent that newspapers as a medium of printed information are undergoing a dramatic transformation. At the end of February, I mused about the state of the business (see "Are newspapers facing extinction?").  Now, I'm getting nostalgic.

As a teenager, I used to enjoy reading newspapers from all over the world. Some of my fondest memories revolve around leisurely mornings with a pile of newspapers and a coffee.

Our world has changed. We now have so much free information at our fingertips that the concept of newspapers on printed sheets of paper seems a little anachronistic.

Recently, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, to remain in business, decided to shut down its print edition after 146 years on the streets. The paper now is available only online, and the transition isn't easy: many people are mourning the inked version.

As a former resident of the Seattle area, I followed the story with some interest.  On the final day of the paper, the staff at the Post-Intelligencer put together a visual essay that is really worth watching.  It gives you a sense of how journalists feel connected to their city and to their readers.  Journalism is as much a passion and a craft as it is a profession.  See Farewell to the P-I.  
It's interesting right to the end and provides a living document of the connection between a newspaper and a community.

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