Updated July 12, 2009
What would Jerry Jeff Walker think? The man who wrote the iconic song. "L.A. Freeway" penned the words: "Throw out those L.A. papers/Moldy box of vanilla wafers..." Future generations may well ask, "What are L.A. papers?"
Today, thanks to the Internet, many long-running newspapers have disappeared and many more are on the ropes. As newspapers struggle with fewer subscribers and dwindling ad revenues, some of their cost-cutting measures include migrating the puzzle pages to the Web or eliminating them altogether. Traditional paper and pencil solvers are devastated, with good reason, and many wonder if there will be any daily newspaper puzzles left at all.
While sales of puzzle books remain strong (you don't bring your laptop to the bathroom), it's just not the same as a daily puzzle in the local rag which for many people becomes part of their daily routine. Some say it's like losing "an old friend". What do you think? Are newspapers and their puzzle pages going the way of the dodo? Please vote in the poll at the end of this article.
My view is that one of the reasons many people buy a newspaper is for the daily puzzle page. Eliminating that is like taking the dog out of the hotdog. It's a deal breaker. Unfortunately, IMO, all but a few newspapers are doomed. Too many people get their news online and as readership decreases so do advertising dollars. Cost cuts mean less content and less content means fewer readers and a deadly spiral ensues.
To all those who need a daily fix of pencil on paper solving, my advice is to get a good printer, go online and print out your favorite puzzles, then solve away. The upside is (sorry, Jeff) you won't have to throw out a pile of moldy papers...
Puzzle Poll: Are newspapers (and their puzzles) going the way of the dodo?Read the New York Times article, "No Puzzle in the Paper? I’m Blank!"
