Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The incredible shrinking newspaper

PhotobucketSo a friend who visited the US recently brought me back a copy of the good ol' San Francisco Chronicle and, when I put it side-by-side with the local product -- well, news sure is shrinking in the US, isn't it? I mean, New Zealand papers are quite big and wide – the first time I saw the Herald I thought it was a bedsheet! – but US papers have also been shrinking quite a lot in recent years, in order to save paper costs. The Chronicle has diminished quite a bit just in the year or so since I've been in the States – it's like a napkin or something now, and the oddly elongated format isn't as satisfying as a square tabloid might be.

I know papers have to cut costs (boy do I ever) and it is good to save the trees, but at some point a newspaper sure starts to look small if it keeps on shrinking, doesn't it? Sign of the times, I guess, but the traditionalist in me sure likes the tactile sense of a newspaper to have a bit of weight to it.

PhotobucketOh well. Could be worse!

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