Newspaper delivers info several ways

We love people who love their newspaper.

Many people who call to complain about missed deliveries share that message -- that their day can't begin without their newspaper. It's part of their routine -- their lives.

That's what those of us who have spent our lives in the business want to hear: That there still are many people out there who consider reading a daily newspaper to be a relevant and meaningful part of their day-to-day living.

But as realists, it's harder to hear those people who don't want to venture beyond their paper and ink, hold-in-their-hands version of the newspaper, because we offer so much more.

As The Enterprise has changed to meet the changing market, we've also changed how, and where, we present many details of the news.

The print product that lands in your driveway (or your newspaper rack) every day is only part of what we do. And it is bound by limitations. We've discussed that before, that the size of your paper is determined by the amount of advertising in those pages.

So the printed paper is finite, which means it can only contain what will fit in that finite amount of space.

The Internet is, on the other hand, infinite.

Things that won't fit in The Beaumont Enterprise will always fit on Beaumont Enterprise.com

We can run complete graduation lists. We can run complete calendar information. We can include details that simply won't fit in the print edition.

And that just scratches the surface. Our online presence offers reader polls, videos, photo galleries, sound bites, reader comments and a whole host of multimedia presentations that aren't available in print.

We're proud of our online product and want readers to recognize that our print and online versions can work in tandem. Through our Web site, they can read briefs about developing news virtually as it is happening.

The next morning's paper will supplement that information with more details of the story. Then, if they want still more, they can check the Web site for additional features, which frequently include links to related information.

For those readers who object to a front page that tells them about online products they can't access because they don't have a computer, we can only encourage them to move forward by familiarizing themselves with that technology.

More than once a reader has told me: "I don't have a computer, I don't want a computer, and I won't get a computer -- ever." My reply is generally to suggest that they embrace technology -- and find a child or grandchild to tutor them on computer operation.

Or, as I tell them, they don't know what they are missing by refusing to learn the vast and wonderful things that await them if they learn to use a computer.

It makes me visualize my grandparents and great-grandparents turning away from the prospect of a telephone, saying: "I don't want that dang thing ringing all day long."

I can sympathize with them.

Almost 30 years ago, The Enterprise newsroom converted from electric typewriters (with carbon paper) to a main-frame computer system (with an entire room of giant machines backing us up). I remember being terrified when they told me how much the computers cost -- and terrified of punching the wrong button and having the whole thing blow up in my face.

I'm still not a technological genius, but I can hold my own and Google with the best of them -- and I have two techie children backing me up when I punch the wrong button.

So to those of my generation and beyond I say -- take the leap. There's nothing to be afraid of -- except being left behind by a world that is changing very quickly.