Newspapers and Young Readers

In David Shaw’s valuable series on newspapers and youthful readers (Part I, March 15, 16), he mentioned two very disturbing phenomena: the decline in the number and extent of younger readership and the fact that The Times has shortened its articles, possibly in an attempt to make the paper more appealing.

The latter point confirms my impression that many stories are not as complete as they should be.

I strongly urge you to reconsider this policy. A newspaper like The Times should be sure to not leave its readers sensing they have been given less than a full account.

Moreover, there are for too many events that are “covered” in the Page 2 briefs.

I think your able staff as well as your readers are being seriously short-changed by these attempts to make the paper more appealing. Young people and others will read newspapers for their own reasons, more influenced by their homes and teachers than any ill-conceived attempts by editors to stylize their publications.

RICHARD L. BERGER

Los Angeles