Saturday, January 10, 2009

Oh, What To Do?

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel sure is challenging me this week.

First they publish my name on their website. Admittedly, I did kind of ask for it. But it still gave me flashbacks. The only other time my name was associated with MJS, was some 25 years ago, when I was working at a gas station in West Allis. The paper was doing a story about the then proposed bans on cruising on Hwy. 100, and they asked me for my opinion. I came out against cruising and for the bans, citing the mess the kids leave, the traffic problems, the violence, etc. Someone thanked me for my input the next weekend by kicking dents in all four of my car doors.

Then, they sent me a love letter today saying that if I wanted to keep my subscription going, I would have to fork over $215. This is something I will have to mull over. I've stated before, and still feel, that the paper in its current form, is not worth that much money. The paper skews to the right, and I don't feel that their reporting is always complete or honest. On the other hand, they are the only daily newspaper in town, and although there are some boneheads working there, there are some darn good reporters too.

Another consideration is that, after I read it in the morning, my paper often goes to my dad, who cannot afford the daily paper anymore. My dad then shares parts of the paper with others after that. Do I want to punish my dad and the good reporters because of bad decisions by the paper's management and by some slipshod reporting by letting my subscription lapse? Or do I punish myself and my wallet by blowing $215 that I can ill-afford on a paper of questionable worth?

If those weren't enough, there is this:

Groups I through IV were extremely helpful. Here's hoping that Reader Advisory Committee V will be just as reasoned and just as opinionated.

We are again issuing the call for a new Reader Advisory Committee, tasked with critiquing the editorial board and making suggestions for editorial stances.

[...]

As always, we're looking for applicants to be more grassroots than the folks we usually talk to in the course of preparing our editorials. On this recent committee, we had a former cop, a logistics expert at a major local firm, a psychologist, a fire department lieutenant, a salesperson and a retired physician. We ask that committee members be regular newspaper and editorial readers.

To apply, please send us a letter of no more than 400 words. Include: Your address, age, occupation and who you work for, marital status, your political party if you claim one, but where you fall on the political spectrum in any case. We'd like you to tell us your race or ethnicity as well.

This is all to help us achieve that cross-section representative of our community of readers.

My affinity for the absurd and for the ironic makes this almost irresistible to respond to. Although, something tells me that if I were to apply, I'd only be wasting my time and theirs. Furthermore, I am so busy now, with all the crowns that I am wearing (and I am thinking of taking on even more), I will have to draw the line somewhere. But still, I am an adviser by nature and by profession. And the thought of critiquing and advising PaddyMac...

What are your thoughts? Please advise this humble adviser.

5 comments:

  1. Go for it.
    $215- for how long?

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  2. Go for which? Both?

    $215 for a year.

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  3. I say go for it too. If you do cancel let them know why though. We go for the weekend subscription although I don't know how much it is since it's a gift from my in laws.

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  4. $215 for a year?
    Damn, for 2 years in Vegas, I paid $104
    But it is a conservative paper.

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  5. That's what I figured. MJS is so damn conservative that they overvalue themselves.

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