Do newspapers have hope?

Newspapers are dying, or so I hear. In South Dakota, most community papers are still doing okay, but supposedly the Argus Leader has been making some painful cuts lately. But even though community papers are doing fine, it's the national giants that really are falling one by one.

I'll never forget when I heard about the Chicago Tribune filing for bankruptcy. It was an late night/ early morning for me since we had to publish The Collegian that day. As a co-worker and I drove to Cook's Kitchen for some greasy delights after our long night, we heard an NPR story about how the Tribune had helped expose Blagojevich's misdeeds to the public. The next story was about how the Trib was filing for bankruptcy. How ironic; how sad. Even though the paper has just done something pretty amazing, it is still in financial trouble. (Read more about the Tribune's financial problems on its Web site.)

Recently, I heard that the Minneapolis Star Tribune has filed for bankruptcy. (For more information, visit CBS News.) I've also heard talk that the New York Times isn't doing so well, either. If the Times goes, then what paper is really safe? The Times is basically a standard for papers across the country, and so what gives newspapers hope if even the Times is struggling?

I might just be unwilling to face the truth, but I don't think newspapers will ever completely die. There will always be people like me who love to read the paper while eating a snack after school, and I think there will always be people that appreciate some of the more in-depth stories that newspapers can provide.

I think community papers will certainly never die. Too many people enjoy seeing their kids' faces or their accomplishments in the paper, and plus, people want to get the news about their communities that they won't be able to find on national or regional newscasts. Let's be honest, if the local paper doesn't cover that city council meeting, who will?

So, I think there will always be a place for newspapers within the world of journalism, but maybe we won't have so many large papers in the future. I guess it's true that the larger they come, the harder they fall.