Memories of the old season

Walking under the carpets of colorful and fragrant summer flowers, the old days suddenly appeared before my eyes. Also on these streets, the scene of people waiting, jostling each other around the sidewalk newspaper stands.

I still remember clearly the feeling of holding the newspaper in my hand, inhaling the scent of each page, devouring each word of that poor student. Every time I accidentally bought or asked for old newspapers or magazines, after reading them, I would smooth them out and neatly stack them next to my old desk. No one would dare touch that special possession without my permission.

The day I entered the university, I was overwhelmed when I first flipped through the pages of a newspaper that still smelled of fresh ink. For students like me, I had to skip breakfast for several days to have enough money to buy a new newspaper. To save as much money as possible, I often went to used bookstores to buy used newspapers, even... "sneak reading", sometimes exchanging newspapers with people who shared the same passion.

At that time, newspapers were like spiritual food for almost everyone. The image of people jostling and waiting around the newsstands every morning became too familiar to the city's residents.

It is the civil servant who stops by the newsstands to buy a few of his favorite newspapers before going to work. It is the motorbike taxi driver who sits perched on his motorbike parked under a tree, flipping through the newspaper when there are no customers... From restaurants to sidewalk sticky rice shops, from luxurious coffee shops to iced tea shops at the beginning of the street, they eat, drink, and read the new issue of the newspaper. They chat animatedly about a famous actor or about this or that person...

Until graduating and pursuing our passion for writing, those of us in the journalism industry, the first thing we do every morning is run to the newsstand quickly to see what interesting, hot news is in your newspaper today.

I used to be so passionate, but one day I suddenly realized that I myself did not remember when I gave up this habit. Because, instead of holding a stack of newspapers, readers can sit at home and surf the phone or computer while still grasping information in the most detailed and fastest way. In an era where the faster and hotter the news is, the more it attracts readers, paper newspapers, like an old, traditional dish, are gradually losing ground on the information table.

Not only the young generation and intellectuals, but now, even motorbike taxi drivers, small traders, grocery sellers... all like to read newspapers via phones and iPads.

Social networks have become the focus of interest, meeting the needs and interests of readers, from news, shopping information, promotions, fashion , medical treatment, to hundreds of other things... And then, social networks become the thread that connects readers together, people start to like reading newspapers online, like what others share, rather than finding and reading for themselves.

And so, readers are increasingly moving away from newspapers. With just one click, they can comment, share, and like what they read online. Even when needed, readers can become on-site reporters, commenting, recording videos , and live streaming on social networks, providing the hottest and earliest information, and then the traditional press will step in. Not to mention, when hot news is released on social networks, journalists have to investigate, while the news on social networks may be false, to... attract views.

So it's been more than 20 years since I've been here, witnessing the daily changes of this city.

The streets that used to have many newspaper stands such as Le Lai, Duong Dinh Nghe, Nguyen Trai... in Thanh Hoa city now have no sign of any newspaper stands. Only Tran Phu street has a few scattered newspaper stands left as if to preserve the memory of "a golden age".

Calling it a newsstand is for show, but to ensure income, most newsstands also sell soft drinks, phone cards, and other necessities. Perhaps, people only maintain those newspapers out of habit, as if wanting to hold on to something of the old days.

“Nowadays, young people are not interested in newspapers, only older readers or those who do not have access to the internet surf the web. However, the number of readers like this is still very small. Newspaper sellers are increasingly shrinking, and newspapers are losing all their market share,” a newsstand owner told me in a sad voice.

Perhaps, for those who value words, want to read deeply, and live slowly, the feeling of holding a newspaper in their hands is still much more meaningful than scrolling through their phones. And they feel a sense of regret mixed with heartache when they see the newsstands gradually disappearing.

People nowadays like hot, sensational news. Even old motorbike taxi drivers and vegetable stall owners in the market take out their phones to surf the web when they have free time. It is not anyone’s fault when with just a swipe or a click, people can almost hold the whole world in their hands.

The gradual disappearance of newsstands in the city is an obvious proof of this change. Now, to buy a paper newspaper, readers have to know where to buy it, not just buy it anywhere like in previous years.

Perhaps, one day, the sidewalk newsstands will no longer be able to compete with the current information technology era. Then, the cries of “newspaper here, newspaper... here” will only remain in memory...

And the patient, humble sidewalk newsstands always bring a simple, familiar beauty to the heart of the city. There is a bit of regret, mixed with heartache when watching the newsstands gradually disappear.

Ha Dan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ky-uc-mua-cu-252730.htm