Newspaper... Oldspaper...

Professor Carpenter once said that if a person’s parents have the habit of receiving and reading newspapers, than the person is more likely to read newspaper as well. I have been reading newspapers for as long as I can remember mostly because it has always been readily available to me every day. Even before I moved to the U.S. 13 years ago, I used to read “Jornal do Brasil” which is one of the biggest newspapers in Brazil. Another reason why I have always read the newspaper is because I am an avid sports fan, and I really enjoy reading different columnists opinions. I read the Sports section religiously every day, and for the past few years, I have developed the habit of browsing through different sections as well.

In a way I really feel that newspapers are a way of communication that eventually will become obsolete. Which is unfortunate because it is very practical and simple way to keep up to date with news around your community and the world. However due to advances in technology, I believe more and more people will choose to drift away from newspapers towards online news. After all, our cell phones are so advanced now that we can receive and read full articles anywhere at any time. I probably will continue to read newspapers regardless if there are more efficient means of getting informed. I really like that nostalgic feeling of waking up, getting the newspaper outside, feel how the weather is, sitting down to have breakfast while reading it. Opening up that bulky object, checking scores, finding interesting things, and etc. There is something about keeping this old habit that makes me feel good. I guess it will always connect me to my parents as well.

I had never opened a copy of the Wall Street Journal before this class. I have always read the Orlando Sentinel and sometimes the USA Today. One obvious reason I have never developed the habit for the WSJ is due to the lack of a Sports section.
The extra time I used to spend going through the non-sports sections of The Sentinel, I am spending browsing through the WSJ. So far it has been a little different from the Sentinel and I get less local information, but I have not felt as if I am missing anything. And I also enjoy the “A Head” section on the front page. The week of the Presidential Inauguration they had a piece on the company responsible for the porta-poties during the Inauguration party, which is breakthrough reporting at its best.

Tough economic times, is what is on everybody’s mind nowadays. The immediate positive that I get out of using the WSJ instead of a text book is the fact that it will be a lot cheaper. Another positive that I foresee is the fact that we will be dealing with current news. A text book will have a lot of theory, fancy terms and pretty pictures, but I will take current events any day. Have I mentioned that it will be more than a couple of happy meals cheaper?