Book Readers Losing Their Bibles

Washington Post’s Book World Goes Out of Print as a Separate Section 
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/books/29post.html

The New York Times recently reported that the Washington Post will no longer have a separate book review section. "Book World" will make its final showing in print form on February 15, 2009, though it will contine to maintain a separate identity online. That leaves the New York Times's book review section as one of the last in print in the country. 

The Times report suggests that this says a lot about the value people place on literary criticism. I think this says as much if not more about the value people place on news. Subscriptions to every print media have declined rapidly in recent years. People tend to believe that news should be free because its so easily accessible online (and on television). That the WP is getting rid of its book review is simply a cost-cutting measure meant to reduce its financial burdens and alienate the fewest number of readers. They see book readers as a declining breed. 

The WP also seem to understand the value people place on reader reviews (as opposed to those from professional critics)--those posts and ratings regular people add to products on Amazon.com. (I certainly think twice about a purchase when an item's cumulative rating on any site is fewer than four stars.) I don't know if studies have been done, but I imagine reader reviews carry a lot weight among the public, especially as literary criticism can be seen as stodgy, lofty, or out of touch with mainstream tastes. However, what the WP may not realize, is that their loyal subscription base is probably comprised of older readers who continue to place value on the tactile experience of reading a newspaper made of paper. And those same readers were probably very attached to the book review section. Perhaps they consider themselves the so-called "literary elite." They are from an aging generation--the Post's base reader disgusted by advents like Kindle--and, as such, this might not have been the smartest move on the Post's part if it's looking to maintain its dwindling print subscription revenue stream. However, if the WP is transitioning to a predominantly online ad-based revenue model, this cost-cutting measure might not matter in the long run.