The largest newspaper in New Jersey is ceasing print circulation in February of 2025. Trivial to most, this setback in the world of current events and the journalist trade in this country cannot simply be overstated. We, the students, cannot let the physical newspaper die.

To me, this issue holds a special place in my heart. When Shaan Udani ’24, who served the editorial post wonderfully for two years, recommended me to be the editor of The Pirate this year, I was nervous and unprepared. In preparation to lead our fully digital newspaper, I asked my father to get me a physical daily newspaper subscription. In years past, my father was a proud Wall Street Journal subscriber, and he was more than happy to purchase a subscription for me. Now came the tough decision of picking out what paper I wanted. I narrowed my list down to four options: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Post, and The Star-Ledger. Eventually I settled on the newspaper I thought would provide me with the best local news coverage, high school sports coverage, and a quality opinion section: The Star-Ledger. On August 31, The Ledger showed up in my driveway for the first time and it’s been part of my routine ever since. The paper comes diurnal, except for Saturday. On school days, I grab my paper on the way to school. I read the first two sections, the headlines and world news, while I sit in the cafeteria before the first block of the day. Then, during lunch, I read the third section of the day which varies from pop culture, food, health and other personal topics. From there, I find time to read the sports section in the afternoon.

On Wednesday, October 30, The Star-Ledger announced that they would end print circulation in February of next year. The next day, the news over the cessation of the 192-year-old paper didn’t even make the top headlines. The story was buried on the third page of the first section. Citing pecuniary reasons for ending physical production, The Star-Ledger is moving to an all-digital model, and the decision is final.

In my rage, I looked up where The Star-Ledger newsroom (physical office) is located. Google told me they have an office in downtown Newark and right here is where this anecdote takes a comical turn. Without thinking, I wrote up an angry worded letter, printed ten copies, grabbed my copy of that day’s paper, and drove to Newark. Awaiting me was a pleasant surprise, The Star-Ledger has no physical office in Newark. With my temper returning to normal, I drove home defeated.

I sent out my letter to over ten employees working at The Star-Ledger, receiving two responses. The first, from the editor of the opinion section. Tom Moran, a man I believed kept the Opinion section pure and interesting wrote back with an appreciative tone but reminded me that The Star-Ledger’s choice was done. The other response came from Mike DuHaime, a Republican businessman who writes a political column. He also appreciated my letter and promised he’d send it up to the higher ups in charge.

This piece is not meant to serve as a place for me to flaunt my unsuccessful protest of the cancellation of a great civic service. To be completely fair, I won’t be reading the daily digital edition of The Star-Ledger. Come February, I’ll be cancelling my subscription. It’s just not the same. Speaking from my own book, I do not believe a computer or phone is a great way to keep up with current events and news. Call me antiquated or call me a fool, but there is something special about reading the thick ink displayed on long grey paper every morning. There is something special about the way a newspaper folds and something unique about the way a newspaper smells. Perhaps it sounds crazy, but I believe every other newspaper subscriber would agree with me.

It bears to be repeated once again: we, the students, cannot let the physical newspaper die. We may not be able to save The Star-Ledger but there are over forty weekly physical newspapers still being printed in New Jersey and around 1,260 daily newspapers being printed in the United States. As the next generation, we cannot let these other newspapers end up like The Star-Ledger.

The benefits of reading a physical newspaper are endless. First, there are no distractions in a physical paper. Online, there are pop-up advertisements and the constant urge to simply do something else online. With a physical newspaper, stories can be shared and discussed more easily. Even science backs up reading the news on paper: research suggests that readers absorb information better from printed media than digital sources. With a tangible paper, one can annotate and make notes easier. Finally, a physical newspaper serves as just a break from screens. In a world where everything we do is online, it’s nice to just take a break for a minute.

Furthermore, with more newspapers closing shop, the journalism trade begins to disappear. Perhaps one of the smartest and most influential minds in American history, Thomas Jefferson, had this to say on journalism: “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” Oscar Wilde, a famous poet made one of my favorite comments ever on the topic of journalism: “The difference between literature and journalism is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read.” Wilde brings up a truthful and poignant point. It’s satirical in that it implies that journalism often prioritizes delivering quick facts over engaging writing, leading to a style that can be seen as repetitive and lacking in literary merit. To this same effect, literature can be considered more artistically valuable, but it might not be as widely consumed by the public due to its perceived complexity or focus on deeper themes, thus stressing the importance of journalism and news. Journalism not only makes our society more informed, but it also makes our nation more secure, our economy stronger, our people healthier, our society more just. Journalism helps inform the public and it educates all, not just the rich or the poor. Some of the best American authors got their start as journalists. My favorite author Ernest Hemingway landed himself a journalist job right out of high school and covered multiple foreign conflicts as a correspondent. Mark Twain, perhaps the greatest fictional writer this country has ever seen, began his writing career as a journalist. Journalism is what allowed him to cross the Atlantic for the first time and allowed him to visit foreign places like Hawaii. John F. Kennedy even served as a journalist before becoming the thirty-fifth president of the United States. As newspapers begin to fade, so does a profession critical to this great nation.

I leave the reader with this: the physical newspaper needs to be protected at all costs. It is essential to the fabric of this country and has many undeniable benefits. With the physical newspaper the whole concept of journalism remains present despite the fact it is one of the most important and overlooked professions. If you ever see me in the hallways, I’ll probably have my copy of my Star Ledger. Come say hello. We can talk about the physical newspaper, and if I’m done with my copy for the day, perhaps you can take it home and give it a read. Oh, and if you have any daily newspaper recommendations, I’m all ears in February.