Now and then, I buy a newspaper just for old time’s sake. But it’s not the same. The pages are smaller, and there are less of them. Very little local news. Only national editorials. And the comics are a day later than they are on here.
My hometown newspaper had a morning and afternoon edition. Great reporting staff. I always liked the afternoon edition because it had some news of events that happened during the day. Where I’ve lived the past 27 years, they also had an AM and PM paper. Then the afternoon one ceased. After a while, I went to a Sunday only subscription, since there was hardly any real news in the daily, mostly advertising. What news it had was always a day or two after what I had seen online. When they raised the subscription price for Sunday only to over $45 a month, I said forget it. I’m not going to pay more than $10 for a paper with hardly any real reporting that’s mostly advertising and reprinted stories from Gannet.
In the 60’s I was a display ad rep for a mid major newspaper that offered am and pm editions plus a combined Sunday edition, but with 2 separate editorial and reporting staffs and different political views. One of the most highly rated newspaper corporations in the mid-Atlantic region. A company with pride and and a talented workforce. Sometime later they reconfigured and became a ‘media’ company and combined the editions into 1 daily edition. Soon after they were bought by a mega media holding company and just about disappeared as a separate unit.
Out of pride and regard for the folks I worked with, I maintained my subscription until about 20 years ago. In the years since I left, the paper gradually was reduced in size and content, then began to feature more national news than local, more sensational than typical, and more slanted to one party than balanced. Next, home delivery costs changed from month to month and deliveries were not consistent. When I finally called the ‘help’ number, I found the call center was not anywhere on the east coast but was in AZ. That killed my interest and my subscription.
It was a very sad example of what has happened to many of the finest newspapers in the country during the decades when we needed their original strengths so badly.
I am old enough to remember a time when my city (Philadelphia, PA)published four daily newspapers. Now there are, technically, two—-but the once-scrappy tabloid has been reduced to “an edition” of the older, more consevative broadsheet.And as for the broadsheet, it once bragged about its multiple awards for investigative reporting and multiple journalism awards. Now it promotes itselfas a provider of money-saving coupons.
One of the best jokes I saw on The Simpsons is when Ken Brockman goes to New York to become a cable journalist. On his way he asks a man at a newsstand if he had the New York Times. The man replied, “Sir, I AM the New York Times.”
When I was in high school, I was taught how to read a newspaper. In one of the assignments we had to select a story and track it through at least two different newspapers. This wasn’t difficult in that there were multiple newspapers in New York at the time and some of them had morning and evening editions.
Things are better today, for me. I can now get more current news and I can search more sources for stories. This is a legacy of my training.
If I sit back passively and let the bots feed me, then I will gravitate either right or left and into a “silo” depending on what I read the most. I deliberately click on “opposition” articles at least once a day even if I do not have time to read them that day, so I can keep the bots from “protecting me” from such articles.
If I have the time, I will “drill down” to see what else is posted on the subject.
Eventually, I hit the bottom of the barrel, FOX News where, whatever the catastrophe from draught to flood or earthquake to tsunami, it’s somehow Joe Biden’s fault.
“Never argue with people who buy ink by the gallon.” – Mark Twain
Another era passes. We are seeing the end of not only newspapers and print magazines, but even of activists handing out handbills to those in some small crowd. Good luck to all of us and our children.
I haven’t seen a newspaper in years. I haven’t looked for one of course, but now that I think about it, I sort of miss the flying trash and fire hazard that newspapers provided. I wonder where the obits are now?
What is a newspaper Daddy? Back in the old days they used to print on paper " all the news that was fit to print" . One day they found there was no news that was fit to print. So they quit delivering newspapers. Now we get all the news that is unfit to print, electronically. 24 hour Broadcast internet channels, social influencer’s, and something called social media that has ever been very social. None of it is fit to print. No one really knows what is real news anymore. The world has gone insane.
I would rather have “All the news that fits, we’ll print.” rather than the blatant editorial “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” Who decides what’s “fit to print?”
We had two main newspapers in my area. I already got the one I preferred. I called the second one and requested service because I was getting a puppy. I don’t think they got it. A few months later, I canceled. When they asked me why, I said my dog was now housebroken and I had no further need of their paper.
I despise electronic newspapers. Last time I looked at one, pg 2 had lots of short brief but interesting articless that said “For more information or thee rest of thee story go to www….”.
I used to love spending Sunday afternoon reading a nice thick Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper. Read everything, ever the things I wasn’t real interested in. It was good. But as time passed the nice thick paper turned into more like a Wednesday edition – thin with ad circulars in it. I talked to the wife and we quit. I miss a good newspaper but then again I miss good news reporting like Cronkite or Huntly & Brinkly.
seanfear over 1 year ago
they will roll back to “tablets”
Uncle Kenny over 1 year ago
Now and then, I buy a newspaper just for old time’s sake. But it’s not the same. The pages are smaller, and there are less of them. Very little local news. Only national editorials. And the comics are a day later than they are on here.
littlejohn Premium Member over 1 year ago
“All the News that is fit to Print.” But they can’t seem to find anything fit to print. So they hired people who sort of passed Creative Writing.
Interventor12 over 1 year ago
My hometown newspaper used to be an evening paper. As they now deliver by USPS, it now an envening paper, again.
rshive over 1 year ago
Difficulties indeed.
MrFixit over 1 year ago
My hometown newspaper had a morning and afternoon edition. Great reporting staff. I always liked the afternoon edition because it had some news of events that happened during the day. Where I’ve lived the past 27 years, they also had an AM and PM paper. Then the afternoon one ceased. After a while, I went to a Sunday only subscription, since there was hardly any real news in the daily, mostly advertising. What news it had was always a day or two after what I had seen online. When they raised the subscription price for Sunday only to over $45 a month, I said forget it. I’m not going to pay more than $10 for a paper with hardly any real reporting that’s mostly advertising and reprinted stories from Gannet.
Chithing Premium Member over 1 year ago
I suppose it saves a few trees.
mrcooncat over 1 year ago
Real journalism is dead … which is one of the reasons newspaper subs have fallen off precipitously.
My First Premium Member over 1 year ago
More proof…Go Woke, Go broke.
sandpiper over 1 year ago
In the 60’s I was a display ad rep for a mid major newspaper that offered am and pm editions plus a combined Sunday edition, but with 2 separate editorial and reporting staffs and different political views. One of the most highly rated newspaper corporations in the mid-Atlantic region. A company with pride and and a talented workforce. Sometime later they reconfigured and became a ‘media’ company and combined the editions into 1 daily edition. Soon after they were bought by a mega media holding company and just about disappeared as a separate unit.
Out of pride and regard for the folks I worked with, I maintained my subscription until about 20 years ago. In the years since I left, the paper gradually was reduced in size and content, then began to feature more national news than local, more sensational than typical, and more slanted to one party than balanced. Next, home delivery costs changed from month to month and deliveries were not consistent. When I finally called the ‘help’ number, I found the call center was not anywhere on the east coast but was in AZ. That killed my interest and my subscription.
It was a very sad example of what has happened to many of the finest newspapers in the country during the decades when we needed their original strengths so badly.
1simplecat over 1 year ago
Sounds like his crystal ball has subscribed to the Babylon Bee.
stringer831 over 1 year ago
I am old enough to remember a time when my city (Philadelphia, PA)published four daily newspapers. Now there are, technically, two—-but the once-scrappy tabloid has been reduced to “an edition” of the older, more consevative broadsheet.And as for the broadsheet, it once bragged about its multiple awards for investigative reporting and multiple journalism awards. Now it promotes itselfas a provider of money-saving coupons.
dflak over 1 year ago
One of the best jokes I saw on The Simpsons is when Ken Brockman goes to New York to become a cable journalist. On his way he asks a man at a newsstand if he had the New York Times. The man replied, “Sir, I AM the New York Times.”
dflak over 1 year ago
When I was in high school, I was taught how to read a newspaper. In one of the assignments we had to select a story and track it through at least two different newspapers. This wasn’t difficult in that there were multiple newspapers in New York at the time and some of them had morning and evening editions.
Things are better today, for me. I can now get more current news and I can search more sources for stories. This is a legacy of my training.
If I sit back passively and let the bots feed me, then I will gravitate either right or left and into a “silo” depending on what I read the most. I deliberately click on “opposition” articles at least once a day even if I do not have time to read them that day, so I can keep the bots from “protecting me” from such articles.
If I have the time, I will “drill down” to see what else is posted on the subject.
Eventually, I hit the bottom of the barrel, FOX News where, whatever the catastrophe from draught to flood or earthquake to tsunami, it’s somehow Joe Biden’s fault.
ladykat over 1 year ago
I would like to afford newspapers again. Sign.
William Bednar Premium Member over 1 year ago
News papers are replaced by news bits and bytes.
flagmichael over 1 year ago
“Never argue with people who buy ink by the gallon.” – Mark Twain
Another era passes. We are seeing the end of not only newspapers and print magazines, but even of activists handing out handbills to those in some small crowd. Good luck to all of us and our children.
vaughnrl2003 Premium Member over 1 year ago
I haven’t seen a newspaper in years. I haven’t looked for one of course, but now that I think about it, I sort of miss the flying trash and fire hazard that newspapers provided. I wonder where the obits are now?
blakerl over 1 year ago
What is a newspaper Daddy? Back in the old days they used to print on paper " all the news that was fit to print" . One day they found there was no news that was fit to print. So they quit delivering newspapers. Now we get all the news that is unfit to print, electronically. 24 hour Broadcast internet channels, social influencer’s, and something called social media that has ever been very social. None of it is fit to print. No one really knows what is real news anymore. The world has gone insane.
RaulMartinez over 1 year ago
The news are day old, too.
dflak over 1 year ago
I would rather have “All the news that fits, we’ll print.” rather than the blatant editorial “All the News That’s Fit to Print.” Who decides what’s “fit to print?”
zeexenon over 1 year ago
Well, the political attacks and gullible have taken care of that.
T... over 1 year ago
Whew, for a minute I thought he was doing a Glenn Falkenstein Mental Blindfold act from the magic castle…
Moonkey Premium Member over 1 year ago
We had two main newspapers in my area. I already got the one I preferred. I called the second one and requested service because I was getting a puppy. I don’t think they got it. A few months later, I canceled. When they asked me why, I said my dog was now housebroken and I had no further need of their paper.
mindjob over 1 year ago
The future of the news is streaming
Sportymonk over 1 year ago
I despise electronic newspapers. Last time I looked at one, pg 2 had lots of short brief but interesting articless that said “For more information or thee rest of thee story go to www….”.
I used to love spending Sunday afternoon reading a nice thick Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper. Read everything, ever the things I wasn’t real interested in. It was good. But as time passed the nice thick paper turned into more like a Wednesday edition – thin with ad circulars in it. I talked to the wife and we quit. I miss a good newspaper but then again I miss good news reporting like Cronkite or Huntly & Brinkly.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 1 year ago
They did have to start over as they have no internet.
DaBump Premium Member over 1 year ago
Putting the Babylon Bee out of business, the world has gotten too bizarre for satire.
WDD over 1 year ago
The one other character in this comic, besides the mountaintop guru, who has no name.