RyzenbergOn All news that’s fit to print — Hello. My name is Jesica, and I am a news junkie.
Aside for being vocal about my love of fashion, shoes, Chanel and men, my next obsession is indeed news. I grew up in a household of news hoarders, whether it was the unrest lived through the 1980s in Peru thanks to the Shining Path or watching the first Gulf War next to my grandmother all night, (oh Peter Jennings, may you rest in peace and don’t you guys miss Bernard Shaw?) or discussing the daily news events during dinner. Gosh, I still remember watching Canal 5 during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and other news events that happened during my childhood.
Fast forward to a couple of years later, and now not a day goes by without getting my daily dose of New York Times, WSJ, WWD (DUH) and my native Peruvian gem El Comercio. (**Thank you Facebook and Twitter for making social media a ubiquitous tool for RSS feeds and news aggs)
With all that said, I enjoyed a wonderful sunny afternoon by walking around SF and catching an incredible documentary called Page One: Inside the New York Times. The film focuses on how the great recession of 2008, the fall of advertising and citizen journalism are really driving mainstream newspapers to doom.
But one “little” paper in the city that never sleeps has really withstood the test of change. Even though they had a few scandals (hello Jayson Blair) they have been able to still be an institution when it comes to news gathering and reporting.
Sure there are countless blogs that claim to give more justice to the world, there is still a cache associated with the paper, and some of its reporters, columnist and writers are extremely regarded (yes, I am talking to you David Carr)
As for me, my favorite section is the Thursday Style (yes, I have been tempted more than once to call in sick and read the entire section top-to-bottom) During any Fashion Week, they always have great insight to the shows, designers, collections and backstage shenanigans, and their digital slide shows never disappoint (Thank you Cathy Horyn)
Even though these days we have a plethora of outlets to get our news, to me there is nothing better than dirty hands filled with ink from a newspaper, or cutting the articles and placing them on a portfolio of inspiration and collages. I know that nowadays, it’s easy to get news from a tablet, smart phone or a computer, but there is always a feeling of nostalgia when it comes to actual newspapers, cutting the comics and doing the crossword puzzle. It’s a concept somewhat obsolete, but to many news junkies it has a different meaning — and for me, it takes me back to good times and memories.
So NYT, I will always heart you! You manage to bring smiles, tears and countless information to me, and I could never see my days without reading a column by my favorite Ginger Maureen Dowd, an article about new bistro in the Upper East Side or learn about a new trend for nautical stripes combined with espadrilles and chunky jewelry.
For now, RyzenbergOn is signing off.