by Jake Betz

Created on: August 04, 2009

Most of the paperboys have grown up, and, ironically, many of them never even touch a newspaper today.

Just as it's not out of the question to have a confirmed sighting of some poor animal that is on the endangered species list, it's still possible in 2009 to observe a paperboy who is hard at work delivering all the news that's fit to read and some that is not.

Paperboys are few and far between, however. They have fallen victim to trends in the newspaper industry.

Over the past 20 years, American journalism has witnessed, and in fact presided at, the death of the afternoon newspaper. According to statistics compiled by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), in 1960, there were 312 U.S. daily newspapers published in the morning and 1,459 in the afternoon or evening. The historical dominance of late-day newspapers was still maintained as late as 1991, with 1,042 papers publishing in the p.m., and only 571 in the a.m.

In the last years of the 20th century, however, the newspaper world turned upside down, and by 2,008, there were 872 a.m. and 546 p.m. newspapers.

Why the change? Newspaper executives relied on surveys that showed potential customers were most likely to read the newspaper in the morning, either at breakfast or perhaps while riding on a bus, train or subway on their way to work. Busier lifestyles and the proliferation of 24/7 cable news made it less likely that people would sit back in their easy chairs after work and slowly peruse that day's edition.

How does this publication change affect paperboys? Well, obviously newspapers are still delivered to people's homes, but, because of the hour, it's more likely that the delivery person is an adult. Adult newspaper carriers may be retirees looking to supplement their limited incomes or second- or third-shift workers who have need of extra cash.

Newspapers strive for early home delivery, so the daily edition is in the subscriber's hands well before he or she leaves for work. The delivery time, generally between 5 to 7 a.m., is impractical for delivery by pre-teens or adolescents who, for nine months of the year, are still sleeping or getting ready to go to school. Even if a young person's schedule allowed sufficient time for an early-morning part-time job, parents are legitimately concerned about youngsters' safety delivering newspapers on cold, dark winter days.

Because of past delivery problems, a growing number of newspaper readers are opting to purchase their editions from vending machines, thereby eliminating the need for a "middle man."

Other factors are the overall and continual decline in newspaper circulation and readership, and changes in how people get their news. A growing segment of the population has chosen to forego purchase of a daily newspaper because people find they do not have the time to read it. Instead, they choose to get their news, when most convenient to them, from television or newspaper websites, provided the content is free.

For many men (and women - yes, there were also female "paperboys"), delivery of a daily newspaper was the first job they had. It taught them responsibility and how to get along with people. Since dedicated paperboys often received generous tips, it provided a valuable lesson that good customer service brings tangible rewards. Paperboys were able to earn money over long periods of time to buy new bicycles, earn spending money for vacations, put a down payment on that first used car, and possibly even pay for college tuition. Sadly, very few young people now enjoy the same opportunity.

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