I'M CHARGED UP about the news- paper business. That's partly because it's in my DNA. It also helps that, thanks to you, The Free Lance-Star is weathering these tough times much better than most papers.

But there's more to my enthusiasm than that.

Recent visits to Washington, D.C., and Lexington, Va., have reminded me why I so strongly disagree with the media pessimists, why I feel confident that newspapers are here to stay.

For starters, stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the wonderfully innovative Newseum in Washington. There you'll find a display of that day's front pages from all over the country--a robust reflection of the liveliness and professionalism of today's print media.

On the day of my visit, I saw investigative stories from Utah and Michigan about the impact of federal stimulus programs on local communities. There were Halloween features from Maine and Arizona--sprightly written pieces that gave a sense of what life is like in those towns as the holiday season approaches. Eye-catching pictures of a beleaguered mayor and a heroic school nurse adorned two of the fronts.

A few days later, I ventured across the Blue Ridge to Washington and Lee University to hear a lecture about the future of newspapers by former Detroit Free Press editor Caesar Andrews.

Andrews, a friend of mine from national editor associations and a visiting professor this semester at W&L, didn't shy away from the fact that some newspapers have seen their circulations and revenues drop precipitously in recent years.

In Detroit, for example, the two local papers have reduced the number of days for home delivery.

Still, Andrews was upbeat on the future of journalism in all its delivery forms. There's something enduring about people's need to know critical information, he suggested--a need that can best be filled by creative, credible journalists.

The blogs and Web sites that contribute to the overflow of information contain some journalistic jewels. But newspapers and their Web sites retain the gold standard for credibility in a polarized political age.