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When newspapers are jeopardized by these three conditions, Freedom will also be jeopardized by the lack of information flowing from newspaper sources for the general public to make informed choices regarding their future. Neglect: Newspapers have not made any serious effort to bring young readers into their fold. Before a youngster can walk he must learn to crawl. He wants to walk because he sees others walking. Before a youngster can read a newspaper, she must pick it up, then she might look at the comics or pictures and have the desire to learn more. The problem is getting youngsters to pick up the newspaper! Adding a prize of either taste, feel or smell will heighten a youngsters interest in the newspaper. McDonald's Happy Meals include prizes which works for them. (See BIG STUFF® News issue 3.) Greed: The Knight Ridder newspaper group building a 200 million dollar publishing plant in Kansas City, Missouri, while circulation was on the decline, made their investors leary enough to withdraw their support. Chicago Tribune buying the Los Angeles Times with declining circulation made them a fair catch for Sam Zell who, it is reported, will sell the parts of the Tribune holdings to try and make that paper profitable again. Indifference: Many newspapers became enamored with insert advertising and indifferent to the trashing of their newspapers with too many inserts. This caused ergonomic problems in their distribution cycle and a negative reaction in their subscriber base, They tried to make up for declining circulation and profits by increasing advertising inserts while laying off news gatherings personnel and others. (See BIG STUFF® News issues 5 and 6.) These are my thoughts on how FREEDOM is jeopardized by the lack of newspaper management "WISDOM" in dealing with declining ciculation before it became a crisis. Warren Hannon
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