---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In those days, most people read…"
description: "\"In those days, most people read newspapers, whereas today, most people do not. What caused this change? One big factor, of course, is that people are a..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/dave-barry-222_bigs_in-those-days-most-people-read-newspaper_1117194.png"
---

#  In those days, most people read newspapers, whereas today…

![“In those days, most people read newspapers, whereas today, most people do not. What caused this change? One big factor, of course, is that people are a lot stupider than they used to be, although we here in the newspaper industry would never say so in print.” quote by Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/dave-barry-222_bigs_in-those-days-most-people-read-newspaper_1117194.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/dave-barry-222_bigs_in-those-days-most-people-read-newspaper_1117194.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/dave-barry-222_bigs_in-those-days-most-people-read-newspaper_1117194.png)

> “In those days, most people read newspapers, whereas today, most people do not. What caused this change? One big factor, of course, is that people are a lot stupider than they used to be, although we here in the newspaper industry would never say so in print.”

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He humorously attributes declining newspaper readership to decreasing intelligence, mocking industry denial.

**In simple terms:** Newspapers lose readers as people become less intelligent.

Key Takeaway

Adapt content to changing audience habits.

Themes

media readership technology culture humor

Mood

wry critical humorous

Type

satirical observational

When to use this quote

- newsrooms
- education systems
- advertising strategies

Key Concepts

information consumption digital shift public perception

Questions to Reflect On

- What factors truly impact newspaper decline?
- How can media stay relevant?

A Different Perspective

The claim oversimplifies complex media changes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Newspapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspapers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/)

## Related quotes

> [The newspaper industry when I came along in the mid-70s was rich and powerful and growing and hungry for material and open to new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-newspaper-industry-when-i-came-along-in-the-mid-70s-was-rich-and/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The future regulatory arrangements for the newspaper industry need to be done in a much calmer deliberative way, in slower time when we've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-watson-jr/the-future-regulatory-arrangements-for-the-newspaper-industry-need-to/)

[Thomas Watson, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-watson-jr/)

> [... people in the newspaper industry saw the web as a newspaper. People in TV saw the web as TV, and people in book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ford/people-in-the-newspaper-industry-saw-the-web-as-a-newspaper-people-in/)

[Paul Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ford/)

> [Consumer habits have changed dramatically. People have gotten used to getting the news they want, when they want it, how they want it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/consumer-habits-have-changed-dramatically-people-have-gotten-used-to/)

[Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/)

> [The newspaper industry was built on the penny dreadfuls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/the-newspaper-industry-was-built-on-the-penny-dreadfuls/)

[Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/)

> [On behalf of the newspaper industry I wish to announce some changes we're making to serve you better. When I say 'serve you better,''…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/on-behalf-of-the-newspaper-industry-i-wish-to-announce-some-changes/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [There is a dumbing down of the news. Newspapers today seem more like tabloids. I have to wade through seven newspapers before I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shabana-azmi/there-is-a-dumbing-down-of-the-news-newspapers-today-seem-more-like/)

[Shabana Azmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shabana-azmi/)

> [Newspapers today have almost replaced the Bible, the Koran, the Gita and other religious scriptures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/newspapers-today-have-almost-replaced-the-bible-the-koran-the-gita/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [In reading our newspapers today, we can see how God is setting the table, getting everything in order, preparing the way for Christ to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/in-reading-our-newspapers-today-we-can-see-how-god-is-setting-the/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [I read a ton of paper every day. I read the newspapers, I read my intelligence materials, I read all the briefing materials. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/i-read-a-ton-of-paper-every-day-i-read-the-newspapers-i-read-my/)

[Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/)

> [The Higher Education Industry is very analogous to the Newspaper industry. By the time they realize they need to change the costs to support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/the-higher-education-industry-is-very-analogous-to-the-newspaper/)

[Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/)

> [When all is said and done, what must be remembered is a newspaper is a business. It used to be a fabulous business that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-zell/when-all-is-said-and-done-what-must-be-remembered-is-a-newspaper-is-a/)

[Sam Zell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-zell/)

> [One-newspaper towns are not good because all the surviving newspaper does is print money. They make 25 percent on their money every year, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-oliphant/one-newspaper-towns-are-not-good-because-all-the-surviving-newspaper/)

[Pat Oliphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-oliphant/)

> [In my second year of Harvard Divinity School, where I was studying to be a minister like my father, I met a guy named…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/in-my-second-year-of-harvard-divinity-school-where-i-was-studying-to/)

[Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/)

> [Speaking of the motto of the New York Times, "All the news that's fit to print:" It is hard to think of any group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-w-johnson/speaking-of-the-motto-of-the-new-york-times-all-the-news-that-s-fit/)

Gerald W. Johnson

## More by Dave Barry

> [This is true; virtually all edible substances, and many automotive products, are now marketed as being low-fat or fat-free. Americans are obsessed with fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-is-true-virtually-all-edible-substances-and-many-automotive/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [This ball was so crowded that it took me - a trained professional journalist with vast experience in this area - forty five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/this-ball-was-so-crowded-that-it-took-me-a-trained-professional/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The hardest thing about being a guy is that women don't accept that you really are just a simple, pathetic, labrador retriever-like creature. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-hardest-thing-about-being-a-guy-is-that-women-don-t-accept-that/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The ultimate camping trip was the Lewis and Clark expedition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-ultimate-camping-trip-was-the-lewis-and-clark-expedition/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/although-golf-was-originally-restricted-to-wealthy-overweight/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Entire new continent can emerge from the ocean in the time it takes for a Web page to show up on your screen. Contrary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/entire-new-continent-can-emerge-from-the-ocean-in-the-time-it-takes/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [He was distracted by a giggle, and turned to see a rare sight: a girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/he-was-distracted-by-a-giggle-and-turned-to-see-a-rare-sight-a-girl/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The major parties could conduct live human sacrifices on their podiums during prime time, and I doubt that anybody would notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-major-parties-could-conduct-live-human-sacrifices-on-their/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [If you look at any list of great modern writers such as Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, you'll notice two things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/if-you-look-at-any-list-of-great-modern-writers-such-as-ernest/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Don't you wish you had a job like mine? All you have to do is think up a certain number of words! Plus, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/don-t-you-wish-you-had-a-job-like-mine-all-you-have-to-do-is-think-up/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [“Despite the gulf, physical and cultural, between the United States and Japan, both societies are, in the end, made up of people, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/despite-the-gulf-physical-and-cultural-between-the-united-states-and/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Before going on a diet you should consult your doctor, or at least send him some money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/before-going-on-a-diet-you-should-consult-your-doctor-or-at-least/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Never trust anything you read in a travel article.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/never-trust-anything-you-read-in-a-travel-article/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [In the old days, it was not called the Holiday Season; the Christians called it "Christmas" and went to church; the Jews called it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-the-old-days-it-was-not-called-the-holiday-season-the-christians/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [Always remember that if editors were so damned smart, they would know how to dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/always-remember-that-if-editors-were-so-damned-smart-they-would-know/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

[Explore all 867 Dave Barry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

## More Bigs quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/)

[Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/)

[Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/)

Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In those days, most people read newspapers, whereas today, most people do not. What caused this change? One big factor, of course, is that people are a lot stupider than they used to be, although we here in the newspaper industry would never say so in print.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dave Barry"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-those-days-most-people-read-newspapers-whereas-today-most-people/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-those-days-most-people-read-newspapers-whereas-today-most-people/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/dave-barry-222_bigs_in-those-days-most-people-read-newspaper_1117194.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/dave-barry-222_bigs_in-those-days-most-people-read-newspaper_1117194.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/dave-barry-222_bigs_in-those-days-most-people-read-newspaper_1117194.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In those days, most people read newspapers, whereas today, most people do not. What caused this change? One…” — Dave Barry",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dave Barry",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In those days, most people read...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-those-days-most-people-read-newspapers-whereas-today-most-people/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/in-those-days-most-people-read-newspapers-whereas-today-most-people/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
