Going Digital

I write a blog for E San Joaquin. Or I used too.

Back in December our print subscription to the local newspaper came up for renewal. The price was quite steep and we decided that on line access is enough. As you might imagine, my view of the reporting slant of the press is not always favorable, and I decided to have a little fun with the changes at the paper.

To my surprise, my blog was censored and removed. The Editor was nice enough to call me and tell me first. Then he sent me an e mail calling what I wrote ‘a rant’ and suggesting I get my own blog not affiliated with the paper.

I published a few more tame posts on E San Joaquin. I also wrote a couple of most excellent pieces that I decided not to publish because I was pretty sure they would be removed. So I finally decided to go out on my own. If any of my 10 readers (including Stoker, who has little choice) follow me I will be grateful. But if not at least I can write without concerning myself that the censors are looking over my shoulder.

Here is the post that was removed. Decide for yourself if it constitutes a ‘rant’.

Over the years The Record has changed its name, its owners and its format several times. The current iteration is USA Today. Every time I open my paper I feel like I’m drinking coffee in the lobby of a Holiday Inn Express.

Another change coming soon: the paper is going to hire a Social Justice Reporter. With a job title like that, I’m sure we can look for some completely objective reporting under her/his byline.

All these improvements do not come cheap. The cost of a print subscription has been going up almost as fast as my unsubsidized Covered California Health Insurance.

When I saw the most recent renewal rate, I started to think about how I read the paper these days. First I scan the headlines. “Trump bad, Biden good”. So much for political news. Then a feel good community story, or a somebody done an innocent person in the community wrong story. Community is such a colorful word, with such diverse meanings.

On to Covid: don’t do this, don’t go there, stay home. Doesn’t take long to get the gist of the content.

Then I read the first paragraph (sometimes only the first sentence) of all the editorials. More ‘Trump bad, Biden good’. On to Sports. With all the games cancelled and fans banished, and social justice messages in the NFL end zones and on the sidelines (a story idea for the new reporter) it just doesn’t excite me. The business section gets a quick glance in case there might be some useful personal finance tips there (almost never).

This all takes me about 2 to 5 minutes, depending on who is writing the editorials. Now it is on to the most important part of the paper: the crossword puzzle. I fold it up and put it aside for the best part of the day. The rest goes into the trash.

I’m not particularity good at crosswords. So it takes me some time to get through them, if I can at all. I usually pour Stoker and me a vodka after 5 pm, turn on the local news (vodka helps) and have at it.

Stoker has been using the electronic version of The Record for years. After I saw the latest price hike I went on line and found out that we could get 1 whole year of unlimited access, including a digital replication of the printed paper, for $25/year. That is less than what I was tipping our carrier every quarter! And I can print the crossword puzzle. So we are going digital.

I wish it were as easy to save money using an e-version of Covered California, but I’ll just have to tough it out until July. Medicare here I come!