Maybe a difference in scale, but no different than any other period in history after “news” became a commodity. (See the 1790s rivalries as example in the newly founded USA) Before that it was just rumor, gossip and the random traveler through your town.
[nerd alert] I was watching a video about “Babylon 5” yesterday. It came out in 1994 and had science fiction legend Harlan Ellison as a consultant. The action took place on a space station in the far, far future. The space station had daily newspapers.
Every media site I know of is doing the exact opposite thing, desperately trying to entice you to read dozens of articles, all equally empty of actual content. The last thing in the world they want you to do is “move along” or decide there’s “nothing to see”.
Haven’t seem a newsstand like that in a long time. I think they may have been replaced by a couch in front of a TV and the many 24hr, 365 day, (366 in a leap year), cable TV networks.
There used to be a box in the middle for Fake News Gazette. It sells out quickly to Liberal Democrats who not only believe every word, but parrot it. God Bless America!
In the 60’s the central VA newspaper where I worked as ad rep broke a mold. For a well known local uni, we published the full college catalog in a tabloid sized edition that went to over 300K subscribers. First of its kind east of Mississippi River. Included all the course descriptions, application forms, etc. Won a VaPressAssoc award for unique special sections. Repeated for the next 4 years.
We were proud to have stepped beyond the usual classifieds and display ads and offered good solid info to a broad audience that otherwise might not have given college a thought. Did it help the bottom line? Sure. But it also helped that uni enroll more students and to eventually become a major player in the post secondary education community. Gotta call that a good thing.
Now the same newspaper has all the substance of a cobweb and their print subscriber list is under 40K. Can’t call that a good thing.
When I was in the army, I got to meet someone from the Soviet Union. They said there were two newspapers there: the “Truth” (Pravda) and the “News” (Izvestiya). He said there was a saying in Russia: “In the ‘Truth’ there is no news, and in the ‘News’ there is no truth.”
I still read the newspaper every day (Seattle Times), but I do it online. They provide a “print replica” so it’s just like reading a real newspaper without having to worry about recycling!
You don’t have to work terribly hard to sum up this race as it stands: Harris is destroying Trump, because Trump is a deranged old s—tbag. See how easy that was?
But that’s too easy if you’re the NY Times, an institution that has never met a story it couldn’t water down. Rather than give it to you straight, the paper of record has opted, as ever, to give you its patented strain of prestige clickbait.
More importantly, shrewd operators (that’s you and me) long ago grasped that the Times’ coverage of politics is all but worthless. It has cried “both sides” far too many times for you and me to take such obfuscation seriously anymore. We know better.
Sanspareil 3 months ago
All the news that’s fit to print!
HidariMak 3 months ago
Just consider disinformation as a classification of information, and you’ll see that we are in the [dis]information age.
cmxx 3 months ago
All the news that fits, we print.
wallylm 3 months ago
Sun – don’t look directly at it.
Concretionist 3 months ago
It’s the (something) information age. When it’s good it’s “necessary and proper” when it’s bad it’s “mis”
braindead Premium Member 3 months ago
In real life, that couple would be looking at their phones.
Doug K 3 months ago
You can’t handle the truth.
Hollymartins2 3 months ago
Repuglican governors have killed more pets than Haitian immigrants. That’s news.
Havel 3 months ago
Maybe a difference in scale, but no different than any other period in history after “news” became a commodity. (See the 1790s rivalries as example in the newly founded USA) Before that it was just rumor, gossip and the random traveler through your town.
walstib Premium Member 3 months ago
Our local metro newspaper appears to be on Ozempic.
Q4horse 3 months ago
I don’t recall ever seeing a newsstand that didn’t also sell mostly smokes and candy.
PraiseofFolly 3 months ago
Actually … The In-foam-aggravation Age.
chaosed2 3 months ago
So a preview of what’s to come when the ‘disinformation czar’ jails everyone they say isn’t telling the right truth.
Can't Sleep 3 months ago
On Unsocial Media, it’s all the news unfit to print.
Differentname 3 months ago
[nerd alert] I was watching a video about “Babylon 5” yesterday. It came out in 1994 and had science fiction legend Harlan Ellison as a consultant. The action took place on a space station in the far, far future. The space station had daily newspapers.
boydjb47 3 months ago
NY Times and Washington Post…Good show Wiley!
goboboyd 3 months ago
Handy to fill in those awkward moments when your phone is busy downloading the click-bait article you clicked.
will.pittenger1 3 months ago
With those boxes, how does the guy stay in business?
rugeirn 3 months ago
Every media site I know of is doing the exact opposite thing, desperately trying to entice you to read dozens of articles, all equally empty of actual content. The last thing in the world they want you to do is “move along” or decide there’s “nothing to see”.
baskate_2000 3 months ago
Sad but true — but most of it is worthless anyway.
Funniguy 3 months ago
Haven’t seem a newsstand like that in a long time. I think they may have been replaced by a couch in front of a TV and the many 24hr, 365 day, (366 in a leap year), cable TV networks.
Count Olaf Premium Member 3 months ago
There used to be a box in the middle for Fake News Gazette. It sells out quickly to Liberal Democrats who not only believe every word, but parrot it. God Bless America!
Twelve Badgers in a Suit Premium Member 3 months ago
The problem is that the information age prioritizes both quantity and variety over quality.
sams1960 Premium Member 3 months ago
Information overload, very little knowledge, 0 wisdom. Loads of information + tons of stupidity = the times we’re a livin.
sandpiper 3 months ago
In the 60’s the central VA newspaper where I worked as ad rep broke a mold. For a well known local uni, we published the full college catalog in a tabloid sized edition that went to over 300K subscribers. First of its kind east of Mississippi River. Included all the course descriptions, application forms, etc. Won a VaPressAssoc award for unique special sections. Repeated for the next 4 years.
We were proud to have stepped beyond the usual classifieds and display ads and offered good solid info to a broad audience that otherwise might not have given college a thought. Did it help the bottom line? Sure. But it also helped that uni enroll more students and to eventually become a major player in the post secondary education community. Gotta call that a good thing.
Now the same newspaper has all the substance of a cobweb and their print subscriber list is under 40K. Can’t call that a good thing.
JosephShriver 3 months ago
It is information
FassEddie 3 months ago
Because the term Yellow Journalism went out with the Yellow Pages.
What we have now is more akin to yellow snow, Nanook.
Sprarklin 3 months ago
aka propaganda.
The real transgression of the regime media is not only the “opinions” they put in as “news,” but actual news is covered up or just downright ignored.
mindjob 3 months ago
The real problem is the papers are one fifth the size and cost five times more. And they’re 90% ads anyway
freshmeet2030 3 months ago
When I was in the army, I got to meet someone from the Soviet Union. They said there were two newspapers there: the “Truth” (Pravda) and the “News” (Izvestiya). He said there was a saying in Russia: “In the ‘Truth’ there is no news, and in the ‘News’ there is no truth.”
withaG43 3 months ago
I still read the newspaper every day (Seattle Times), but I do it online. They provide a “print replica” so it’s just like reading a real newspaper without having to worry about recycling!
Calvins Brother 3 months ago
I prefer to see it on TV./s
Radish... 3 months ago
You don’t have to work terribly hard to sum up this race as it stands: Harris is destroying Trump, because Trump is a deranged old s—tbag. See how easy that was?
But that’s too easy if you’re the NY Times, an institution that has never met a story it couldn’t water down. Rather than give it to you straight, the paper of record has opted, as ever, to give you its patented strain of prestige clickbait.
More importantly, shrewd operators (that’s you and me) long ago grasped that the Times’ coverage of politics is all but worthless. It has cried “both sides” far too many times for you and me to take such obfuscation seriously anymore. We know better.
MemaJean 3 months ago
That about covers it.
krisjackson01 3 months ago
Saw a copy of the mighty New York Times in Dunkin recently. It looked like the Springfield Shopper. Sad to see.
lnrokr55 3 months ago
Ah, the Daily Sarcasm, give me a copy please ! ;-)
rick92040 3 months ago
I believe The Misinformation Age would be more accurate.
anomaly 3 months ago
Because there’s a thousand times more information than you need.
Bilan 3 months ago
The real trick is finding the actual news among the sensationalism and ads made to look like news.
christelisbetty 3 months ago
It was all those nasty reporters who asked questions at press conferences.(AKA Enemy of the people) /s
mistercatworks 3 months ago
There needs to be a different name for unreliable rumor/conspiracy/foreign misinformation nonsense.
Cactus-Pete 3 months ago
I don’t get this one. Which newspapers don’t want to be read?
Otis Rufus Driftwood 3 months ago
Makes ignorance look preferable.
Walter Kocker 3 months ago
Pennsylvania mom says she will frame $100 bill given to her by Trump at grocery store
Buying an election, one vote at a time.
She might as well, if he’s elected, on day one the frame will be worth more than the Benjamin.
keenanthelibrarian 3 months ago
An age that’s full of ‘alternative facts’, apparently.
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] 3 months ago
tOO MANY NEWSPAPER just run associated press stuff and have no real articles of their own.