The Printer’s Devil

This week — Sept. 29-Oct. 3 — is Banned Banned Books Week.

But you wouldn’t know it if you read most American newspapers.

Am I missing something? Newspapers live and die on getting Americans to read but they do everything but.

The only mention I’ve heard of this year’s Banned Book Week is on radio. Isn’t that bizarre?

You’d think newspapers as a matter of survival would use every opportunity and every story to plug the joys of reading. Stories about authors — some of them are as colorful and outrageous as the most scantily clad pop princess. Book reviews. Or even stories about Banned Book Week.

Whenever I had the power to do so, I would always play Associated Press’s book articles or convince locals to do book reviews or write about their favorite books.

It’s one reason why my newspapers always gained readers and increased circulation.

Instead the stupid but busy publishers of the world want to be on the Internet or be TV. How can they attract readers when they don’t celebrate reading?

Where do you see or hear about authors or books — TV, radio and the Internet? What’s wrong with this picture? What am I missing?