tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post117108954800086124..comments2024-03-25T19:00:40.046-06:00Comments on The Constructive Curmudgeon: Are Newspapers Dying?Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08766692378954258034noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171321537264198002007-02-12T16:05:00.000-07:002007-02-12T16:05:00.000-07:00Hi David,Yes, you are probably right. Of course, ...Hi David,<BR/><BR/>Yes, you are probably right. Of course, most places that have communal papers also sell them. If one thinks it would be a bad thing were the traditional newsprint paper to go away, then supporting it directly by purchasing a copy is surely to do more to keep the presses running than merely reading the coffeehouse's copy.<BR/><BR/>Also, Doug's description seemed to suggest that he read a copy that was itself for sale rather than a communal copy. Of course, I could easily be wrong about that. (And I'm not suggesting that there is anything wrong--well, not much anyway--with such borrowing, but only that it is ironic given the point of his post.)Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05074257624733067171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171305134860202292007-02-12T11:32:00.000-07:002007-02-12T11:32:00.000-07:00Buying a newspaper (in fact, two or three) had alw...Buying a newspaper (in fact, two or three) had always been my pleasure when I lived in Italy. And I often varied the ones I bought. The staple was Corriere della Sera, which is the most balanced and prestigious daily in Italy, but then I would complement it with other newspapers at both extremes of the political spectrum. Doing so taught me at an early age to balance common wisdom with the understanding that common doesn't always imply right or unquestionable. When I return to Italy, I still spend way too much money on the dailies, as my mother never fails to notice. <BR/><BR/>As a foreigner living in this country, I always felt that American newspapers were far too provincial in their handling of news than their European counterparts. The only American newspaper where I could find some treatment of foreign news was the New York Times, and it too often dealt little with foreign news which were not somehow related to the interests of this nation. I understand that newspapers in this country have a regional dimension, but the balance between local, national, and international news is far too skewed in favor of the first item. Luckily, the Internet came along as a source of excellent information (and perspectives) from all over the world.<BR/><BR/>In essence, while I understand that political and social participation often starts at the local level, I refuse to patronize RMN or the Denver Post, because I am put off but their almost exclusively local focus. Besides, in an effort to appear super partes, they miserably fail at what I consider the preeminent responsibility of the local press: monitoring our representatives in local government and exposing their suspect allegiances to the donors that contributed to their election.The Daily Fuelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12636581068441603099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171200159899267482007-02-11T06:22:00.000-07:002007-02-11T06:22:00.000-07:00Hi Tom,Maybe you were merely being ornery in your ...Hi Tom,<BR/><BR/>Maybe you were merely being ornery in your original comment, so forgive me for possibly taking you too seriously. But a minor point here: <BR/><BR/>Reading a newspaper provided by a coffee shop does make one, at least indirectly, a patron of said periodical. The price of cappuccino goes towards more than just the drink itself. And I suspect that if no customers ever read an item, then management would not maintain the subscription.<BR/><BR/>Also, I think the newspaper folks would welcome the exposure of having their publication available at a well known establishment. Given that periodicals are driven by advertising revenue rather than subscriptions, it is probably irrelevant that a customer doesn't "pay" for what he reads while enjoying his mocha.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07401233564061618139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171174863059035532007-02-10T23:21:00.000-07:002007-02-10T23:21:00.000-07:00Tom:You are not a jerk. I didn't see it!Tom:<BR/><BR/>You are not a jerk. I didn't see it!Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08766692378954258034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171166916036773432007-02-10T21:08:00.000-07:002007-02-10T21:08:00.000-07:00Doug: Yeah, that's the irony I was suggesting. I d...Doug: Yeah, that's the irony I was suggesting. I didn't mean to be a jerk...Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05074257624733067171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171132949345060802007-02-10T11:42:00.000-07:002007-02-10T11:42:00.000-07:00What's ironic? That I didn't support the newspaper...What's ironic? That I didn't support the newspaper business by purchasing it? Perhaps. The Sunday NY Times is $5!<BR/><BR/>We are getting the Rocky at hour home (five weeks for free) and will likely pay for a renewal.Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08766692378954258034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171129580995435832007-02-10T10:46:00.000-07:002007-02-10T10:46:00.000-07:00Um, no offense here Doug, but isn't there a little...Um, no offense here Doug, but isn't there a little irony in the fact that in piece extolling the virtues of print newspapers and lamenting their potential demise, you mention that you didn't buy the Sunday paper but "borrowed it" from the stand, putting it back "pretty much" as you found it?Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05074257624733067171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-1171122229403049382007-02-10T08:43:00.000-07:002007-02-10T08:43:00.000-07:00I hadn't thought of the communal aspect of the new...I hadn't thought of the communal aspect of the newspaper before. But this is certainly true. We get the Post at our house. While eating breakfast, my kids (who are just beginning to learn how to read) might see a picture and ask me about it. It's an opportunity to open their eyes to the world in ways I wouldn't think of had not this, "serendipitous" moment as you put it, occurred. <BR/><BR/>And I'd be very interested in seeing a reenactment of your "good curmudgeonly performance art" in class sometime! This would compliment my memory of the "book drop-kick" performance from years ago...Jeff S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08827015272331500670noreply@blogger.com