The newspaper industry is having a difficult enough time staying afloat without thieves steal .50 newspapers. Why would anyone steal a newspaper? The answer to that question is pretty simple – because they can.

Many newspaper vending machines have easy-to-reach openings in the back. It is easy to reach in and grab a freebie. As reported in courier-tribune.com.

Not surprisingly, the number of places customers can buy inside stores is going up as the number of outdoor newspaper racks goes down.

A recent study found that there was a 31 percent theft rate of papers in outdoor racks. Is it just me, or is that an astounding figure? Could it be that almost one in three papers in outdoor racks get pilfered?

The phenomenon is part of a nationwide trend, according to West, fueled in part by coupon clippers and a popular television show called “Extreme Couponing.”

The problem is getting worse. In years past someone might pay for a paper and take one or two extra. Now they pay for one and take five or six — or more.

Many papers around the country are considering not selling the Sunday paper in racks because of these thefts. How do you feel about stealing about newspapers for the coupons?

I have to admit that I too am a coupon clipper. In fact, I can easily justify the cost of subscribing to my local paper as a great deal because the coupons I clip more than pay for the paper itself.

I would hope that this trend does not persist and that newspapers thieves who are caught be mandated to an online stoptheft class.