Newspapers see sharp circulation drop of 4.6 pct

There's something old and reassuring about newspapers.

I remember as a child them being there, delivered to your door, often by a young man in the neighborhood. (I was one of those young men for a while. I'd get up early, ride my bicycle to a gas station about a mile away, where a wholesaler would deliver wrapped collections of newspapers. I'd in turn fold the newspapers, stuff them into a basket on the bicycle, and deliver them to some 100 homes).

Those who like newspapers tend to be older. And newspapers know this: watch the content, and it's aimed at an older audience, one likely less computer savvy, less technological.

And paradoxically, as I get older, I have less use for newspapers, while my children have been the ones who demanded that we continue a paper subscription (I had suggested a compromise of buying on-line access to the local publication). My son -- our oldest at 26 -- likes the feel of a paper publication. Et de gustibus non disputandum. But newspapers are not so lucky among most of his -- and our daughters' -- generation.

"NEW YORK (AP) - Circulation at the nation's daily newspapers is falling faster than anticipated this year as readers continue their migration to the Internet and papers narrow their distribution to cut costs."