These well-informed young people had a very modest interest in the print media. Unlike me, they didn't feel their day was incomplete without reading a newspaper.Total newspaper circulation has been declining by roughly a million copies each year. And yet a review of the main stories in the national papers continues to be a regular feature of this programme. Items in broadcast news frequently take their cue from reports in the press. I wonder how low circulations will have to fall before such regard for the print media disappears.My guess is it may take a long time. We all seem to give greater authority to what is written than what is spoken. We know we can say things unthinkingly and stupidly. As the letter of James in the New Testament says "the tongue is an unruly member". But cruel words spoken in an outburst of temper are less hurtful than the same words written in a letter and sent by post. The written word has a very deliberate intention behind it. We speak about seeing things in black and white. On receiving a helpful letter we may say of someone "she's taken the trouble to write".
这些见多识广的年轻人对纸质媒体兴致不高。我要是一天不看报纸就会觉得这一天不完整，他们则不会。报纸总发行量以每年大约一百万的速度在递减。然而，本栏目还是一直在各大报纸上查阅大事要事。新闻联播经常从发行物中寻找灵感。我想，发行量要跌到多低，人们才会不再关注发行物。我猜，这需要相当长的时间。我们都觉得书面的比口头的更具权威性，因为我们会不经大脑的胡言乱语。《新约》中James的信中写道：“舌头难驾驭”。但是盛怒之下脱口而出的尖酸刻薄远远不如将这些诉诸书面并寄给对方来的伤人。书面文字隐含着深思熟虑的刻意。我们喜欢说白纸黑字。当我们收到一份非常有帮助的信件时，我们会说“她拨冗写了这封信。
