It's a pleasure doing business with you

"We flyin' first class, up in the sky, poppin' champagne, livin' the life, in the fast lane...oh the glamorous..." Fergie

Lately, when I've told people that I'm a Journalism major, a sad look has crossed over their faces. It's as if they almost feel bad for me, because as many know, times are tough in the print world.

And while I appreciate their sympathy, I generally try to explain to them that I don't plan on doing newspaper, but instead magazine, or maybe even PR. And that I have enough faith in the system to believe that the magazine world is not going to take the dive that the newspaper world is clearly taking.

I believe this for a lot of reasons. One being that when you read the newspaper, you mean business. You read it to learn your current events and stay up-to-date. Whereas, when you read a magazine, it's for pleasure. Therefore, when you want to do business (read the paper) it's logical that you'd do it as efficiently as possible: online. Alternatively, when you're seeking pleasure, you'd be more inclined to relax by the pool with a cocktail and a glossy magazine (pleasure does not equal lugging around a laptop while poolside).I once heard that the type of people who truly support the magazine industry are the type of people who like their plane tickets first class and their champagne vintage. Sure, it may be cheaper to look online for the latest beauty finds or fall fashions. But why would you waste time at a computer when you could be getting a massage while flipping through an enticing magazine- which happens to give you a detailed list of beauty and fashion advice?

Of course, when people give me this look of pity, I don't have time to tell them all of this. Nor would they probably want to hear it, because while they did care about what my major is, I highly doubt they are truly that concerned about my financial stability. Maybe they just wanted to show that they're up with current events, that they have, in fact, looked on the New York Times Web site to discover that the economy is bad. That the Chicago Tribune can no longer afford to distribute outside of Chicago. That newspapers are letting go more and more people and expecting even more from those still on board...

But, I hope, I pray that computers will not continue to get so small that they are really just as convenient to carry as a magazine. I hope that spas do not begin to offer laptops instead of magazines while clients get a pedicure. And of course, I hope that the economy gets so much better that people not only continue to indulge in a magazine here and there, but also decide it might be worth it to smell the fresh ink on the Washington Post once in a while. Because really, the Internet is convenient and all, but there is nothing quite like the feeling of unfolding a fresh newspaper while eating breakfast at the kitchen table on a beautiful morning. Reading the newspaper may mean business, but if you ask me, sometimes it's OK to mix business and pleasure.