I've written before about a Web site called PoynterOnline, which can be found at poynter.org.

It provides an in-depth and constantly updated look at the world of journalism, particularly the newspaper industry.

But if you've been checking it lately, the news has been depressing. Here are just a few headlines from the Friday version of a daily insider column compiled by Jim Romenesko:

• Boulder Daily Camera puts its downtown property up for sale

• Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram explore newsroom partnership

• EW Scripps cuts 400 jobs, suspends dividend as it reports 3Q loss

• Next round of Sun-Times cuts will be tough to implement - and watch

• Newspaper execs to discuss survival strategies at summit

• No more anniversary gifts for SF Chron employees

But tucked in among all of those unsettling headlines was another one - it came from a Washington Post column: “A memo to those who stood in line for a newspaper on Wednesday.”

The column was an open letter of sorts to newspaper readers, taking note of the heavy demand that could be seen across the country last week for copies of Nov. 5 editions.

Barack Obama's historic victory in the presidential race was something millions of people wanted to read about, and they wanted to keep what they read to one day show future generations.

I'm glad I saw the column because it provided a needed reminder of why newspapers are still so important in today's society. The newspaper is a tangible record of history.

Sure, not every day produces the kind of history we saw last week.

But each edition of the newspaper tells a story about the times we live in.

Just go back and check out some old newspapers from a few decades ago to see what I mean.

I'm not naive. It's clear that the future of journalism is one that will include much more online content vs. print content.

But in 50 years, when we're talking to our grandchildren about the first black president in U.S. history, we're not going to pull out an external hard drive or memory stick to show them what was being written.

For now, at least, I'm as confident as ever that there will always be a place for printed newspapers.

Executive editor Jeremy Boyer's columns appear Tuesdays in

The Citizen and he can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 231 or jeremy.boyer@lee.net