Newspapers, as in the form they’ve existed for the last two hundred years are dying.

Killed by the internet, after all why pay for content when you can get it for free, and also by killed by  choice – it’s quietly amazing that as well as the SMH I can read the Guardian, the Irish Times and the Washington post for free. No longer tied to what’s available locally and all while sat at the kitchen bench listening to the scream of cockatoos as they try and destroy the tv antenna.

Yes not being able to access the Times or the NYT is a pain but one can still get one’s quality journalism fix.

However, we still get the print edition of the SMH delivered. It’s part of the morning ritual to wander down to the end of the drive, look about distractedly, peer in the agapanthus and eventually find where the paper was thrown the window of the delivery van, brush off the odd snail and carry it back triumphant to read at breakfast.

Not this morning. For some reason, be it an invasion of giant snails, newspaper stealing kangaroos or whatever, no paper.

Not a disaster. I’ll fire up my tablet. So this is how my breakfast went.

Got tablet from study and powered it up.
Cut up fruit and made coffee while waiting.
Tapped on the SMH app, read National headlines.
Internet connection died.
Talked to cat while finishing muesli.
Internet connection back but SMH app has time out delay.
Give up and fire up Guardian, skim headlines.
Eat toast, drink coffee.
Return to SMH which now consents to work.
Read World and business headlines. Skim headlines on ABC web app
Shut down tablet and go to work.

This is not as rich an experience as you get with a paper. No cartoons, no whimsical fillers, no happenstance because an interesting picture of some words from something you wouldn’t normally read catches your eye.

Yes I got the headlines. I didn’t get content, didn’t get happenstance.

I didn’t have a bad experience but it wasn’t rich nor did I get depth. That’s why every morning I’m still out there peering in the agapanthus ….