I read in the paper today the World-Herald will no longer deliver their “Midlands edition.” According to an article in the NP Telegraph “The World-Herald will provide subscriptions to a replica electronic edition (e-Edition) for each day’s paper. It also will offer deliver of the paper by U.S.mail.” The World-Herald seems to be succumbing to the same pressures causing other print media to change their business plan.

The Internet makes available many sources of news each day. Reading the paper I’ve noticed how often I was aware of a story before reading it in the printed edition. However, there is something different about reading a paper, reading a book or reading a magazine. Reading the paper is a physical experience including the aroma of the ink, the feel of the paper, and the sound of pages turning.

The Sunday comics are just not the same when read over the Internet. I’m not a ludite but I will miss the Sunday comics. I understand the NP Telegraph will not provide “Sunday Comics” to fill the void.

The loss of the delivered edition of the World-Herald will provide opportunities for the local print editions. I will continue to support the local papers because they make a valuable contribution to our community. I hope they find a way to fill the void created by the World-Herald’s announcement.