In 1760, the Boston News-Letter was the first newspaper to be published continuously in the United States. A 250-year legacy of printed news could not have lasted if newspapers had not had the use for it. Aside from entertainment value, newspapers exist for the primary purpose of bringing international, national and local news to people's doorsteps. Without such a frequent and stable form of communication, it would be difficult for any nation to call itself a free democracy. Today, however, newsprint cannot be expected to last forever. Statistical data strongly suggests that newspapers around the world are declining in both number and circulation. The last few years have been difficult for newspapers as other sources of news have appeared, namely television and the Internet. Many people now fear that the decline of what has for so long been the primary source of journalism will have serious detrimental effects on the nation's health as a democracy. I argue that while newspapers have their virtues in serving a democracy, television and the Internet are already evolving to serve as credible news sources. A true democracy requires informed voters to make judgments about how the country should be run. To stay informed we need access to news that goes beyond the reach of our immediate networks of friends, family and neighbors. Newspapers have been the only such means of information for centuries, so long that people have become insecure at the thought of losing them. For some this is perceived as a problem, a perfectly legitimate position. If we were to lose such an important source of information, the space left would cripple our ability to inform people. If people were not informed about national issues, there would be ...... middle of paper ...... living, style, green movement and world news, comedy in addition to the usual news, blogs and other original content . While newspapers are in decline, the health of the nation will be fine. There may be some turbulence due to the transition, but in the long run people will get their news. Works Cited "About the Blogger |." Death Watch Newspaper. Network. February 16, 2010. .Ahrens, Frank. "The Accelerated Decline of Newspapers." The Washington Post. October 27, 2009. Web. February 9, 2010. Arango, Tim. “The decline in newspaper sales accelerates to more than 7%.” New York Times. 27 April 2009. Web 8 February 2010. "Democracy". www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary. Web. 9 February 2010. "Who killed the newspaper?" 2010."History of the Internet." www.computerhistory.org, February 9. 2010.