In the storied offices of a famous newspaper, a young editor named Phil walked into Chief’s office before the dawn of this millennium.
“Sir, should we be posting our articles for free on the web?” Phil asked.
“Of course,” Chief said, beaming at his newspaper trophies.
“But aren’t you worried it will devalue the newspaper itself?” Phil asked.
“Devalue the newspaper? Newspapers are an institution. People plan their days around the newspaper. So what if they can read an article online for free on the interwebs?” Chief said, motioning to a pile of newspapers he received from around the world.
“I feel like people pay for the articles we’re giving away for free.”
“Jim,” Chief began.
“Phil,” Phil corrected.
“Phil,” Chief continued. “Sure, we have great reporters, great articles, great classifieds. Hell, we even have a great high school sports editor. But what people love is the paper. They love touching the paper, turning it, and folding it.”
“Wait, you mean the same paper that people wrap fish in, pick up after their dog, and lay down when they paint their walls?”
“Yes, people love that paper.”
“The paper that smears and gets all over your hands and smells vaguely like a chemical?” Phil asked.
“They love it,” Chief said. “Don’t worry about this.”
Phil nodded at Chief, picked up a paper on his way out of the office and smiled. The substance of the world, he thought, as he headed for the printing press.