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• Thursday, February 16, 2006 08:01 PM

  Newspapers Are Bad

  I subscribe to 3 newspapers (NY Times, Wall St Journal, Financial Times) which I skim every day. While I am not in the "young people" group that you decry (I am 38), I find the vast majority of newspapers published complete rubbish. I don't consider the NY Times rubbish because it's articles are too long, or too detailed, or too serious, or too "newsy". I find it rubbish because -- apart from the arts and business coverage -- it's a waste of my time. (The WSJ and FT are great but have a narrow focus.) If I read front page articles about a presidential election or a judicial confirmation, for example, I am treated to the rehashed press releases of the Bush administration, the RNC and "for balance" prominent Democrats. Think Judith Miller's stenography in the lead-up to the Iraq war. People consider the Daily Show a good news source because it exposes the ridiculous PR machine that we are subjected to via TV news and -- yes -- newspapers.

  I spend a lot of time trying to understand what is actually going on (magazines, websites, blogs). But I certainly don't think that people who avoid newspapers are shallow or news-phobic. I do not need a whole hand to count the number of newspapers published in this country that contribute to an informed citizenry. People who eschew newspapers have correctly identified that newspapers cater to partisan political junkies who only care about the political horserace -- and offer very little to everyone else.

  —Sophie
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