'Dying' newspapers fly off the racks as citizens seek piece of Obama history

November 6, 10:40 AMSeattle People ExaminerLaura Vecsey

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As Americans and citizens of the world continue to ride the wave of relief and celebration in the wake of Barack Obama's election as the next President of the United States, we are drawn to reports about how fast and furious newspapers flew off the racks.

Indeed, it is a sign of momentous occasions that newspapers -- those daily keepers of the record of history -- are THE keepsake to which people who are stirred to mark such occasions turn.

One can only imagine how many of these front pages will go up under glass frames on living room and office walls; how many of these historic-day editions will be pressed into scrapbooks, waiting for kids 50 years from now to open them and see what it was like, back then, for times to change.

On that note, we wanted to share with you an amazing website where the front pages of newspapers from Nov, 5, 2008 from across the U.S. and the world have been archived, Newseum.org.  I think anyone who takes a moment -- or an hour -- and scrolls through this incredible compendium of history will be greatly moved. 

Oddly, though, the very things that so momentously mark this grand historic occasion -- newspapers -- are one of the most hard-hit industries whose fates and futures are being drastically endangered by the current economic crises. Indeed, the prospects for newspaper viability were already plummeting before October 2008 as the move to online media and shrinking advertising revenues have decimated the business model for print media.

It's going to be up to someone, somewhere, to figure out a way for newspapers to survive and continue -- or reprise -- their role as watchdogs for democracy, or at least remain a vital part of our daily democratic record-keeping.

Maybe newsies can get a piece of a D.C. bailout, alongside the auto, banking and airline industries. They certainly are an endangered species.

That's why it was more than ironic -- worse than ironic -- that on the eve of the Election and a few days before newspapers were sought as mementoes that The Seattle Times company announced that it will separate or lay off 130 newsroom staff members.

These are tough times all around, but at least for this Election Day, newspapers here in Seattle and across the globe played their part -- and the people flocked to buy 'em.