Once a month - or more often - I invest in some good newspapers and I read them front to back. My favorites are The Financial Times (not as republican as the WSJ) and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung (a bit more socialist than the Frankfurter Allgemeine). I also buy the dutch Financieel Dagblad (financial daily) regularly, especially when there's fraud, scandal and nationalisation of banks.
Unfortunately less and less shops sell these newspapers. Bookshops en news outlets have trimmed their selection and you can only buy dutch newspapers there. The only shops that sell international newspapers are the combination shops, that sell tobacco, lottery tickets, writing utensils and newspapers.
These shops are not found in the upper class neighborhoods. I think there are not enough smokers and lottery players there. Most often I find these in older, poorer areas of Rotterdam and in smaller cities.
In Gouda I asked the shop owner:
- "Do these newspapers sell a lot or am I the only idiot that buys them?"
The owner answered:
- "Sir, I'm afraid you are the only ----- that buys them."
He omitted the word "idiot" while smiling heartily.
I will not speculate on the future of paper newsprint. But I will miss it.
I will not speculate on the future of paper newsprint. But I will miss it.
