One by one, their numbers dwindle down as they are bought out and laid off. Their work and talent goes unseen as industry and greed topple over moral values. In every little nook and cranny they wait in anticipation for an opportunity to shine, but those dreams are soon dulled down.
            Our luster is evermore weaker. Our occupation means nothing to you, and soon enough, our words will cease to stir the emotions of your hearts.
            We are journalists and newspapers, alike, in need of a revolution.
            All across the nation, in sunlit breezy California, the Los Angeles Daily News, the Los Angeles Times, Santa Clara County Mercury News, and even at the Tornado Times itself, the staggering numbers of reporters is heavily weighing down upon the future of print journalism. Just two weeks ago twenty two reporters and editors at the Daily News lost their jobs.
            This drop in staff writers pays a heavy toll, one that is an editor’s greatest fear and a writer’s biggest downfall: less story coverage.
            With fewer numbers of writers, news is left unreported, government coverage is low, world-wide American knowledge declines, and the stories of countless individuals are gone with the passing wind, never permitted to hope for a chance at reaching the hands of a reader.
            Yet what is the cause of this phenomenon that threatens to destroy the very foundations on which this country was built upon?
            There are many theories; some of which are true, some of which are big business cover-ups, and some of which have no solution. Nevertheless, reasons exist, of which students, believe it or not, play a vital role in.
            Tell me, when was the last time you could name the Secretary of Defense? Does Robert M. Gates ring a bell? No? How about Glendale’s district representative? Did you guess Adam Schiff? Oh well, maybe next time.
            The truth of the matter is, you could ask any student questions like the ones above, and they are likely to just stare at you in total ignorance. If you are lucky, you might get a “sounds familiar” response.
            Reading is down as well. Many students’ attention span is that of an eight-year-old child; if not entertained at once, they look for the next “high” they can receive, whether it comes from their new remote controlled sports car, or the hottest Barbie mermaid doll that changes the colors of her fin when you put her plastic body under water.
            As a culture, we have become massively lethargic, and have started putting aside newspapers for the Internet. More and more individuals flock to online article databases rather than spending a mere fifty cents for a paper they can call their very own. Not to mention, newspaper revenue is already down, and decreasing advertisement threatens to be print journalism’s downfall. The precious jewel that individuals take for granted is slipping away from their grasps.
Take it slow. Life isn’t always about the fast lane. There is something about the smell of a newspaper, the grime and smudge that rubs off on one’s fingers, and a hot cup of coffee that suggests “You can’t go wrong with me.”
Embrace newspapers. Take ten minutes out of your oh so hectic lives to read one, just one article in a local paper. You won’t be disappointed.
In the article “Job cuts at papers shrink coverage,” Joel Bellman states “We [will] simply fade away like the Cheshire Cat.”
In his own sneaky ways however, the Cheshire Cat can make his comeback when you least expect it. Let us hope we do as well.