The day the news was about the news

There are no adequate words to describe the death of the printed word in a couple of West Texas communities. Suffice to say that people in McCamey and Iraan are a little less informed since their respective weekly newspapers ceased publication 10 days ago.

This is a sign of changing times, of course. The plight of newspapers in general has been well documented. Newsprint is gradually giving away to electronic means of transmission of news. The Internet, as well as 24/7 cable television provides more immediacy to reporting.

Even the industry giant, the New York Times, is feeling the pinch.

But that's just one of the factors that face newspapers.
In the case of the McCamey News and Iraan News, demographics likely was the prevailing cause of death. Circulation figures were miniscule due in part to the shrinking population that most small Permian Basin towns have dealt with for years.

According to the Texas Press Association, the McCamey News circulation was listed at 560 and the Iraan News distributed 375 copies each week. Those were among the smallest circulation numbers in the state.

Also playing into the equation was the report that the owner of the two papers, Clara Greer, had decided to retire.

But Greer also owned the larger Crane News that will continue publication under new ownership. Mandy Timmons confirmed last week that she and Greer's son, Dennis Greer, had purchased the Crane News, also a weekly. Timmons said Clara Greer closed the McCamey and Iraan papers because she was ready to retire to her home in New Mexico.

Since no one was ready to step up and take over the papers that published their final editions on Feb. 5 (to the surprise of many townspeople), it's doubtful the towns would ever be able to lure another publication.

And that's too bad. After all, weekly papers in small towns are very much a part of the fabric of a community.

A paper that provides coverage of sporting events and meetings of governmental agencies to those who can't or won't attend in person provides a valuable service.

Plus, weeklies help preserve the history of a town in some sort of written form. People in smaller communities love to see their kids' photographs in the paper when they graduate high school or go off to the big city and get some big-shot job.

Word of mouth might inform them when fellow residents take their dream vacation to Hawaii, but it somehow carries a little more importance when it appears in black on white on a newspaper page.

They also need the information that is provided when it comes time to elect officials. Newspapers tell the voters what the candidates are saying about the big issues at hand.

All of this is taken for granted in small places. If it's Thursday, they'll be getting some food for thought.

But what was routine in Iraan and McCamey is no longer part of the lifestyle.

No doubt, people in those communities will quickly adapt to the change. But it's too bad that their main staple of official communication has suddenly vanished. Sadly, other towns with similar populations could be facing the same transition - words literally taken out of their mouths - in the not-too-distant future.