As noted by the inimitable Oyster, our only daily paper is raising its rates. As of October 1st, a subscription to the Times-Picayune will cost $16.00 per month.
That seems like a lot. I certainly have many complaints I could lodge against the paper. Some of my more ardent activist friends refer to the paper as “virulently racist.” I think that’s a little much. I would describe them as a fairly moderate organ in a virulently racist and classist society. I certainly wouldn’t expect the T-P to be at the vanguard of the revolution; I’d expect them to serve the power elite. But within that framework they still have a function to fulfill and can still be a valuable source of information.
But I digress. After much breast-beating and soul-searching, we decided to maintain our subscription. The reason is simple. Even at $16 per month, I’m hard-pressed to think of a single other daily source for all this information on what’s going on in the city.
my wife is a coupon gangsta’
between the coupons in the sunday paper and the flyers for cheap eats at the local markets in the wed and thurs papes we are still getting the pape for free..
25 bucks will probably be the cut off
Your description is pretty much how I would describe them.
As bad as people claim the TP is, when compared to what gets published in most other cities, it actually is a great little paper. And there are a couple of reporters and columnists who are really going after things, and the coverage of local culture is and has been excellent.
As for the editorial content, spineless and don’t rock the boat come to mind. But given the varied market it is trying to serve: intercity African American covering the range of income and educational ranges, white flight suburbs, a significant Gay/Lesbian community, etc., it’s kind of understandable…there goal is to sell newspapers.
“I’m hard-pressed to think of a single other daily source for all this information on what’s going on in the city”.
-Funny because that’s why I check your blog daily! But I also think that TP’s NOLA.com does a fine job of providing a free press.