PressEthic

New York is perhaps the best example of national and local papers printed in the reflective polyglot of this unique city. Chinese, Arabic, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese and many other languages are available distillations of relevant news events occuring inside the city and without as well. There are also populations who need to digest the news on their own terms and in their own time. Print serves this need.

It occurred to me that having a newspaper tucked under your arm, or inside a bag, allows a type of dialogue, an exchange, where the reader can revisit the day's news when the opportunity presents. As I was arranging my books and coat on the seat, anticipating the hour and a half ride back from Penn Station to my home on the Jersey Shore, a friend walking by recognized me and sat down. I had interpreted for his son's Pee Wee football practices, those that I could make, the previous summer. My friend is Deaf.

After we talked for awhile he settled into his routine and I went back to my books. Frequently he would comment on something he had read in the news, or get my attention to ask about what was going on in my life. I noticed he had three newspapers with him. Two were dailies and one was a national paper. I asked about carrying three papers and he said that he picks one up on the way to work, another during the day and the third on the way home. He cannot listen to the radio and newspapers allow him to keep up with events he is interested in.

I still believe that technology will allow newspapers, or news from multimedia sources, to be downloadable and portable in a format more readable and accessible than is currently available. Until then, however, print continues to serve those communities that to the larger population may pass unnoticed.