TUESDAY'S YELL EVENT IN NEED OF YOUR SUPPORT

When you see people selling newspapers on street corners in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City Tuesday morning, keep this in mind: Nearly half of American adults have such poor literacy skills that they are unable to perform tasks any more difficult than filling out a bank deposit slip or finding an intersection on a street map.

What, you ask, does illiteracy have to do with selling newspapers? The two will be very much linked on Tuesday when the Southeast Missourian, the Jackson Cashbook-Journal and the United Way hold the annual YELL for Newspapers campaign.

Through YELL, schoolchildren of the area are exposed to newspapers. They learn to appreciate the knowledge they deliver and the fun of reading.

YELL stands for Youth, Education, Literacy and Learning. Money raised through the campaign is divided evenly between the Southeast Missourian's Newspapers In Education program and special literacy grants administered by the United Way.

The Missourian, through its NIE program, provides 8,000 newspapers every Tuesday to schools throughout five area counties. Another 500 newspapers go daily to social studies and current events classes. The papers are used by students at the elementary and secondary levels: younger children use them for such things as recognizing letters and learning to read; older students for a classroom resource and "living" textbook.

NIE has proven successful. Researchers for the American Newspaper Publishers Association found that the program has been effective in cultivating future newspaper use among young adults aged 18-34. A recent two-year study for the association revealed there were 5 percent more "yesterday" readers and nearly half-a-day-per-week greater average reading among those who recalled being in an NIE-type program.

Volunteers will begin selling the 10,000 special-edition Missourians and 1,800 special-edition Cash-Book Journals at 6:30 Tuesday morning. They won't last long; they'll probably be gone by 8:30 or 9.

The editions will include articles on United Way agencies, literacy efforts in the area and on NIE. A comic book will be placed in each edition. A variety of instant prizes will be inserted randomly. Bonus prize claim numbers also will be included.

Through your donation a minimum of $2 per copy is requested the NIE program will continue for another year. Eventually, with your continued support, statistics that nearly half of adult Americans are unable to perform tasks any more difficult than filling out a bank deposit slip or locating an intersection on a map will improve.

That's why we think YELL is such an important program and deserves your generous donation on Tuesday.