ARE NEWSPAPERS DEAD? by Morgan Mandel

I wonder how many people read newspapers any more.

We get the Daily Herald delivered to our doorstep every morning. I read the Neighbor Section, the front page, sometimes the Business Section, depending if I'm running late for work or not.

It used to be newspapers were our primary source for news, along with radio and TV. Now it seems most people find out what's happening faster on the Internet instead.
To accommodate this, the newspapers have set up web sites. Many columnists have their own blogs also. Often something that's just happened appears on a newspaper's website right away, which gets confusing.

Despite trying to keep up with the times, I've heard that newspapers like the Chicago Sun Times are hurting for readership and laying off people.

So, I wonder how many people are still faithful to the printed word? Also, how does this apply to books?

At the Frontier Days Festival when I was selling my mystery, Two Wrongs, and my romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams, I had one woman ask if I had audio versions. It's the only way she can fit books into her busy schedules.

Since the Internet and everything associated with it is so popular, ebooks are gaining in popularity. What used to be the cache of small publishing companies has now become a marketplace for NY publishing houses. Let's face it, ebooks are very convenient. They fit on just about any gizmo, even the popular Iphone, plus you can loads scads of them and carry them around in your purse or pocket, unlike the printed books.

Still, there are many diehard readers out there who prefer the look of paper, the feel of turning actual pages, the satisfaction of physically opening a new book.

I'm glad to say both my books are in print and ebook forms. To me, they both have their merits.

Which do you prefer? I've got a small quiz here where you can show your preference.

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel
www.morganmandel.com
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com
http://mysteryturtlesblogspot.com