On Newspapers |
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 I opened my hotel door this morning to be greeted by the
familiar sight of a copy of the Manila Bulletin lying invitingly on the floor
outside my room. Without another thought I picked it up and started on my way
to breakfast. As I was descending in the elevator from the 17th floor I took
another look at the newspaper and a series of thoughts struck me. This mass of
paper amounted to a staggering 96 pages of 7 column print!!! Think about that –
I did. How long would it take you to read that cover to cover?Now think about how long you normally take over the paper. I don't know what your answer is but for sure you have never read a newspaper cover to cover. Now I know I'll get a flame from some sad bastard who's got nothing better to do all day, but I'm talking about the rest of us who do. I glance through the pages looking only at the headlines, occasionally reading one or two paragraphs if my attention has been caught. The entire process takes exactly the amount of time it takes me to drink two cups of coffee, then I leave the whole tome on the table and walk away! Every, and mean EVERY, article on the first three pages ended in mid sentence with "continued on page 17 (or whatever)". Do I every start hunting through? No – and I doubt if many others do either. What does that tell you? (Not about me – about the principle behind the newspaper.) It tells me that 90% of everything they publish not only goes unread but also unseen. What is the point? Three o'clock comes round and the Herald Tribune is delivered. I looked at this publication in a whole new light. 20 pages of six column print. I realized that I actually have a chance of reading the entire publication in a few hours. It was concise and page splitting was kept to a minimum with only follow up stories published on other pages. This is not an advert for the Herald Tribune!! OK? What I'm saying is that I think there is a load of unnecessary and un-requested diatribe out there. The British press has another curious trait. Half the paper is dedicated to the mindless pursuit of SPORT. That means there is half a paper I won't even open. Can I pay half price if half of what you print will never interest me? Why not keep that shit to dedicated publications? Here's an idea! Sport Moron Daily! It would be good seller since most British readers turn straight to the back pages anyway. News story? Sport is NOT news! Item – 22 overpaid muscle-brained retards ran around on a pitch chasing a ball for 90 minutes. One side won. End of article! Reprint the same again tomorrow! Two guys stood in a ring trying to knock each other's head off. One succeeded. End of story. Reprint tomorrow. Two be-racketed; underdressed women faced each other over a net. One missed more balls than the other. End of story. Reprint tomorrow. A whole herd of horses ran on a track. One was faster than the others. End of fucking story. Reprint tomorrow. Shit! Now look what you made me do! I've got enough material to open a newspaper here! |
Copyright(c) 2001 Rogue Art. All rights reserved.