drunyan8315 on March 30, 2009 at 9:28 PM

Yep, another good summary. I think I’d be less bugged if they dropped the pretense of objectivity, but it’s as ingrained as much as liberalism is a substitute religion.

For my local paper, I’d hoped contact with the Internet would have some effect. It does not appear to be the case. There are two political cultures in this country and they can’t communicate even though they both speak English (for now). Babylon?

Local people work there — one a young reporter who dove into the profession at this very difficult time. They work their guts out to tell the stories we need to be told. It kills me to see such people hurt by forces that came before their time.

I love my local paper and don’t wish them ill. They do so much for the community — telling the local stories, what the elected “characters” are doing, providing unsolicited publicity for local businesses and charities, people in trouble, and human interest. I’ve seen no evidence that blogs can substitute for this local commons.

When I see so many different perspectives online, but see only one in the newspaper, over and over, I naturally come to the conclusion that I would rather be picking from among many points of view than have some elitist pick for me and shelter me from any others.

Do I have a tendency to read those who agree with me? Sure I do, but a tendency is not the complete elimination of other views, the way it is if I get my news from a newspaper.

It’s pretty simple really… newspapers reflect an elitist view that assumes I cannot think for myself: one that I cannot influence or moderate, and one that they do not admit to. Newspapers are basically dishonest.

Immolate on March 30, 2009 at 7:56 PM

Well, it takes a strong stomach to endure the politicians we elect at public meetings. I’ll give them that.

Don’t worry about saving journalism–you can’t kill it. Worry about saving democracy and preserving freedom from a far bigger threat than AQ.

entagor on March 30, 2009 at 4:30 PM

So much truth in one post. Nothing beats relaxing with hard copy newsprint. Politicization of nearly everything destroyed that.

Chain ownership, with its synthetic culture, is often at odds with local sentiments. Looks like breaking those links will entail market actions I don’t wish upon them. Decentralized innovation is what could save newspapers. The inheritance tax helped destroy family-owned papers, by the way.

Distant ownership is centralized and inflexible, trusting its own minions and disposing of local favorites at will.

There are two arguments at play here: whether we need journalism, and whether it has to have a paper-delivery mechanism to survive

I miss journalism. I am tired of propaganda and instructions how to live my life

Decades ago I used to read the Home section for how-to articles and product information. Information has not stopped but it is replaced with instructions on what I should and should not do for the planet, the nation or a political party.

The Food section used to share true recipes from famous chefs, local readers. Food sections today critique what you eat, and offer faked out recipes invented to get you to change your lifestyle

Entertainment has shrunk except for celebrity articles

The NYT used to be wonderful covering scientific advances. Now I avoid their offerings as manipulative

An article about an illegal alien raid in local papers is just another vehicle to promote the agenda of sharing

The Religion section is mostly a series of lectures worthy of the Archbishop of Canterbury

etc

I prefer hardcopy for many purposes. I stopped reading PC magazine since it went on line and will let my subscription die. I like to crash on the couch with a good read. That means hard print

Reading paper is a different experience for the eye and more relaxing than the unblinking wash of light from a monitor. Turning down the intensity of the monitor does not relax the eye like paper copy

Plus I line my garbage can with paper to absorb odors. It is a useful in disposal of items, protecting the floor when working, wrapping items for storage, and swatting the dog. It is there when the computer is down

All that is missing is the honest journalism

the paper will save all the costs it now spends on printing and delivery. It would be great to wake up every morning to a fully downloaded paper that you can stuff in your briefcase and take withyou or read over coffee ect.

The papers are not thinking outside the box here.

But the papers do need to improve their content. Kindle isn’t going to solve that.

I much prefer reading online… it’s just cleaner. I don’t know how you combat that with print… you can’t make the papers pick themselves up off the floor and recycle. Now maybe if they dissolved or something… I sometimes buy the paper for the coupons. But anything interesting is going to be online or on the local news.

Not unless they start creating compelling content for the premium delivery, and that’s really been the Strib’s problem locally.

[NOT directed at Ed ...] It’s all about content, stupid!

The Strib gets a lot wrong, but they should be applauded for being smart enough to keep publishing James Lileks.

Kensington on March 30, 2009 at 2:51 PM

I don’t live in Minnesota, but I love the Strib website for Lileks.

Hate to tell you people; but who would pay $500 for a help wanted ad in the paper, when it’s free on craigslist?

lorien1973 on March 30, 2009 at 2:39 PM

I don’t think it’s free to place help wanted ads on craigslist. At least I remember having to pay a fee a couple of years ago when I advertised for a German translator.