The New York Timesucker

I enjoy reading the New York Times because I have always found it to be a reliable source, and I know it is one looked at nationwide so it is neat to feel like I am in the loop on things in the business, economic, social world just as much as anyone else who uses newspapers to get filled in. Being able to read online has been awesome because it is rare, especially in college, for me to pick up a hard copy of a newspaper and get through much of it without becoming bored. Granted, I would probably stumble upon more randomly interesting articles by having to turn physical pages, but online it is easier to jump directly to articles that peak my curiosity. Because of this, I think in general I spend more time on the New York Times online than I would if I were just reading a print copy.

Reading the New York Times has definitely influenced the way I think on a day to day basis, because by being informed from a generally neutral viewpoint, I have much more open potential to create my own opinions. Many other news sources I scan are tainted with political angles of writing either in line with or blatantly opposing my views. I have been drawn to reading political articles because of the sense of the New York Times being generally neutral, but this has also inspired me to read sporadically depending on article titles that catch my eye or the like. Typically, when I read a hard copy newspaper, I pick what I want to read based on the size of the article, a phrase that caught my eye, or something I was intentionally looking for (like the Sunday Comics page in The Oregonian… priceless…). However, catching and keeping my attention online has a lot to do with article titles, pictures, and short blurbs, and less to do with the article itself. If I find a piece that sounds really interesting, I am more likely to finish reading it online and not put it down part way through than I might have been if it was in print. Also, newspaper pages are big and flimsy, but I don’t have to worry about awkward placement of my hands or cocking my head a weird way to read online. Yeah, this is the case for any online news source, not just the New York Times, but it is relevant and true nonetheless.