Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for October 31, 2019

There’s always Facebook.

Post-it on Twitter and hope the Russians and Iranians will fill in the blanks

Maybe people stopped subscribing your newspaper because you wrote obituaries for “austere religious scholars”.

Yeah, Goat, it just might be.

Learn his political affiliation, and have local opposing “news slanted our way” radio station go at him.

There are still plenty of newspapers out there. But we’re being told that their journalism is fake.

. . . by a very reliable source.

Our local newspaper is a joke. Almost no news and a bunch of political commentaries. It gets old really fast. The whole paper is now about equal to the size of one section 10-15 years ago.

It would help if they went back to just reporting news without adding their own lopsided opinion. My parents taught me to take the facts and form my own opinion. I don’t need a ready made opinion shoved down my throte.

The problem is that some people have learnt to use democracy to throttle democracy! And those who trusted democracy to work can’t let go of its principles of fair play long enough to defend it!!

And I do not mean a particular country or nation. It’s an epidemic.

A city official asked for a bribe ? Maybe pig is in Italy .

I pay for my comics. Does that count?

Pastis already did an extremely similar sunday strip about this exact issue but the message is worth repeating

According to a 2016 Nielsen Scarborough poll, 169 million Americans still read newspaper whether it be print or online, so there’s still hope:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulfletcher/2016/12/26/good-news-for-newspapers-69-of-u-s-population-still-reading/

Today’s headlines :tomorrow- Trump welcoming the Nats, while being booed by the fans

For the record, historically, newspapers have been the most partisan news source—since time immemorial. There’s nothing new in biased newspapers. And they are much more civilized than they used to be too. :-D

After the illustrated portrayals that Rat provided about government issues, it is refreshing to see a “real” one played out.

we are paying for horribly liberally biased journalism. Real journalism is dead.

… to be honest, the great gobble-up of newspapers started the decay in journalism…

… the leverage buyouts and the cutting of staffs happened way before the internet had it’s way…

…no more columnists …

…no more editorials…

…no more investigative reporting…

…no more content…

…heck, were there even any editors?….

…thank goodness there are still two full pages of comics…

…er…wait…

Most journalists will cover up or excuse Democrat corruption, but try to expose Republican corruption at even the slightest mention of it. Journalists have proven that they can’t be trusted.

The internet killed a large part of newspaper’s revenue by making the classifieds redundant. This is not simply that readership is down.

Larry Croc for Editor of PBS ! … Croc Power !

Especially so in one newspaper towns. My local paper appears to intentionally offend half of the local population.

I was pushed into early retirement at our newspaper because I worked mostly on commission/bonuses (advertising) and no one was advertising anymore in the paper. Ad rates were up. Subscriptions were down. Not a recipe for success and a good way to get sick from stress. However, back in the day, it was a great way to make money since ANYBODY who had a business, an announcement, a political ad… ALWAYS advertised in the local paper!

Problem is, we’ve got every legit news outlet in the U.S. scrutinizing Donald Trump, and he’s got a loyal band of deplorables who want to keep him in office BECAUSE he’s corrupt. They love corruption in government.

We stopped paying because you shifted from reporting to indoctrinating.

Happened when the bulk of so-called “journalists” decided to act as mouthpieces for the left. That started the long slide toward the divided press we have today. Now, nobody reports the news without also commenting on it. I don’t want to be told what to think, and I’m damn sure not going to pay for it.

NY Times and the Washington Post do not count as journalism.

One of the worst things about the internet is it gives so damn much stuff away for free. Now no one wants to pay for it. But of course we’re all paying for it.

Everything falls apart. It was only about 150 years ago people were complaining that the ritual of reading the morning papers had replaced the reading of morning prayers.

Maybe they stopped subscribing in order to save the trees.

Fifty years ago, as a newbie reporter, the local Chamber of Commerce convinced our publisher to emphasize the “good” portion of the weather to give our readers the impression it was safe to go downtown to shop. A small, relatively harmless alteration, but the “thin edge of the wedge.” Later, crime in certain sections of the city were ignored … might affect real estate values.

I get mine online, but not much in the way of news, journalism is pretty much dead. Still some local pieces that are of interest.

I miss the alligators … you’re just too political now.

I didn’t leave journalism. It left me.

“Comment is free… but facts are sacred”

CP Scott, 1921 Guardian editor

It doesn’t matter if it comes on your doorstep or on your computer, your newspaper is still worth reading and supporting.

By or Buy a newspaper? Little wonder he was laid off

Hmm. Have you taken a peek behind the pay walls of any of the remaining "news"papers, Mr. Pastis? You’re not paying for “journalism;” you’re paying to be propagandized in ways that affirm and reinforce your own worldview. Journalism is dead; the fatal wound was self-inflicted.

I stopped subscribing because of bad journalism.

I would feel sorry for newspapers, I really would, but I figure it’s just deserts for the hubris they showed when they were on top.

Preach, brother…

There is still Journalism happening, just not in print. There are all kinds of news organizations that have started on line. Most are niche and local, but there is good reporting that is going on. Find one you like, support it by donating on a monthly basis. We are in the beginning phase of a new type of Journalism, and no I am not talking about such slime as Facebook and Twitter. They are the on line equivalent of the National Enquirer.

You’re in CAHOOTS with ’em!!!!!!!!!!

Many have forgotten the history of the journalists who have made an impact on our country and the world. Recently the woman from the Miami Herald, Debra Brown(?), who exposed Jeff Epstein in Florida and then finally got the state of NY to go after him again after 5 years with new evidence she uncovered. Then there was Watergate, Monica Lewinsky affair, etc. Even in CA a journalist exposed an entire city council of embezzlement. My utility, PGE, is so going down by the reporting of “deferred maintenance” on power lines that have caused the fires now and from 2 years ago.

No occupation is pure – that is why we have cognitive facilities to process information. Make up your own mind and live your life.

I remember Rachel Maddow urging people to support their local newspaper. Which would be fine – if the newspapers were local. In most cases, they’re not.

I find the “journalism” in my Minneapolis newspaper about as believable as I the comics.

We don’t need newspapers. We have the internet, delivering celebrity news enveloped in endless click-bait.

Face it newspapers, we live in the digital age. No more need to kill zillions of trees and perform the tedious and expensive job of printing ragsheets that are thrown away the next day, when the Net can present such information instantly. You can still sell your advertising. Still get people to read it… just like we read GoComics.

Just like the music industry had to adapt to MP3s to survive, newspapers need to take the “papers” out of the name. The news is still there.

The real issue is… what will we use for pet pee papers and to do our hobbies on? That’s a bit problematic. Maybe someone needs to start a new industry: utility papers. They can even print comics and news on them so people can read them while setting them out…

Our local newspaper rarely did investigative journalism, even before digital media. Locally-owned, and too afraid to rock the boat of politicians and advertisers. They reported on scandals only after the information became public knowledge.

Social media can actually do a much better job of highlighting corruption. Unfortunately these days you don’t know what to believe there.

The problem is that the local papers were purchased by conglomerates who did away with all the local news.

A classic toon. So tired of GOP supporters trying to justify Trump’s actions and relying on Faux news.

You mean like the so called “Newsy Briefs” on PultoTV? News briefs, yeah right. There’s maybe 1% of them that’s actually news, the vast majority are trivia.

Democracy dies in darkness.

I’ll pay for my paper when it’s full of truth again

I guess you mean “BUY” a newspaper. No effing way! Overpriced print lies just as effectively as CNN or MSNBC do for free.

Off Topic, Back to the strip.. Pig could mistake a fee for the permit as a bribe. . . 8^)

I stopped subscribing because the actual ‘news’ content had dribbled away to half a page; the rest was ads, sports and the society page. And comics — the only thing I actually missed, so I subscribed here.

Truth.

A few facts…

Actually, our paper costs us more like $2.50 a MONTH (not per day), because they are desperate for advertising dollars and need healthier subscription rates to justify the value.

Most of the old “papers” still exist online, but many require you to turn off your ad blockers.

Both sides—liberal and conservative—give slanted editorial “news” which is inflammatory and preys on the uninformed. It’s all meant to be divisive because conflict and emotion sells (and keeps the populace from realizing that they’re being played by both sides.

But sadly, too many people do rely on social media and posts by the “uninformed inflamed.”

Journalism no longer exists so the argument is moot.

Journalism. It’s what’s for (wrapping) dinner (scraps)!

Petulant ex-newspaper employee needs to take a calmative….

I agree w/ the sarcastic reporter: We need paid reporters and folks who care deeply about telling the whole truth. However newspapers seem to be mostly dying. May be room for web-based “papers” though.

except that nearly all local newspapers are leftist propaganda machines that push big government. They cover the tracks of those they like and push fake news of those who support limited government, individual freedom and free markets.

Internet killed the anchorman star, Internet killed the anchorman star

When I first moved to this area and started reading the local newspaper, the Sunday edition contained about 8 thick sections, was heavy enough to kill a large rodent (or so I suspect), and cost $1.oo. I always read it, and benefited as much from the “hobby paper” afterward as the information itself. The comics were always what I went to straight off.

I checked recently; the size of the paper was more like the National Enquirer and it cost $2.50. And they wonder why people don’t read the newspaper. I’d have to say that when their paper is forced by economics to reduce to such degree… it’s time to start thinking about Plan B.

I subscribe to my local newspaper but hate their comics – so washed out looking with the lack of colors and so tiny! That’s why I love GoComics. The comics section in newspapers is so important. In the past I have dropped my subscription temporarily when my newspaper censored a comic – not good!

Most “journalists” are now opinion columnists, and most opinion columnists are now shills for their respective political party.

Maybe more people would pay for journalism if the new outlets had stuck with being objective instead of trying to persuade you to feel a certain way. My sister worked in broadcasting and the attitude of today’s media is that “if it doesn’t bleed, it doesn’t lead.”

“If you don’t read newspapers you are uniformed. If you do read newspapers you are misinformed.” – Mark Twain

Pearls guys… you have no idea what you’re in for next year.