From July 8, 2004

One year ago: The New York Times reported that the National Endowment for the Arts announced a new report, called Reading at Risk, charting “a precipitous downward trend in book consumption by Americans.” The survey was announced by NEA Chairman Dana Gioia at the New York Public Library on July 8th. Based in part on 2002 Census Bureau data, it found that fewer than half of Americans over 18 now read novels, short stories, plays or poetry. In addition, "the consumer pool for books of all kinds has diminished; and that the pace at which the nation is losing readers, especially young readers, is quickening." The study starkly depicted current trends, and further fuelled "debate over issues like the teaching and encouragement of reading in schools, the financing of literacy programs and the prevalence in American life of television and the other electronic media that have been increasingly stealing time from readers for a couple of generations at least." It also raised more "questions about the role of literature in the contemporary world." (Quotes from Benton's Communications-related Headlines)