USA Today's lifespan?

That's what your phone is for.

 

I ride the train to and from work every day, 40 minutes each direction. Ya know how many people I see reading a paper? Very few, and usually only financial types reading the Wall Street Journal as they head to the city. You could leave free newspapers all over the seats and people wouldn't even give them a passing glance.

 

The last time I read a physical paper was two months ago in England, mostly out of curiosity.

 

How did it feel?

 

As someone who travels frequently - and still reads newspapers - I’d much rather read the local rag when I’m out of town than read USAT.

Reading USA Today on the road is like visiting New York or Chicago and eating all your meals at Applebee’s.

 

Are they all over their phones that early in the day and that late in the day? Or are they sleeping? What are they doing on the 40 minute rides?

 

I would never buy a newspaper -- I finally quit when 80 percent of the time I lost money putting quarters in those antiquated dirty newspaper bins -- but I will read one if it's sitting there at the coffee shop. I'd say 30 percent of the time maybe 40 percent there are some A sections and sports sections by one of the tables or trash recepticals, on top. Same as always I like to check out the editorial page and will skim the headlines of the news section to see if there's anything I want to read. Laugh if you will I also will read the Dear Abby column, rarely anything in sports gets me to care enough to read it. A crime story or two might catch my eye in the news section.
I would never ever consider subscribing or actually buying a newspaper.

 

They hand out the Evening Standard (or the Sun, I can't remember which one) at tube stations so I grabbed one to read about cricket while enjoying a pint.

 

In France, physical newspaper reading is still a big thing, judging from the number of newsstands I see there and people reading them in cafes. It seems like younger people there like my daughter use their phones for texting and personal business more than for following news.

 

The last time I physically read a newspaper was at my parents' house over the summer. For what it's worth, I also don't watch the local news. Used to do both all the time.

 

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun still has a daily print run of 8.5 million.