Freep, News Price

[bust]

An inexpensive way to support the Free Press, as I do, is to buy an annual digital subscription. It's only $29 a year. I like the traditional newspaper format

Thanks for the recommendation. I didn't know the traditional print format was available to digital subscribers. That's great. I hate the experience reading freep.com, and all other Gannet digital properties that share that awful design. And at $29/year it's certainly worth it.

I get the bulk of my news from Public Radio and Television and have supported them for several decades, to the tune of a few thousand. They have great local, state and international news, business news and features and is largely commercial free other than donor mentions at the start and finish. It's the best there is in media.

Totally agree.

I have subscribed to Crain's for decades...

I also agree with those who say Crain's delivers better quality. But their coverage is of course more narrow in scope.

I have also been doing the NY Times digital additionally attracted in that I like to do the daily crossword puzzle.

The New York Times is among the handful of newspapers across the country that still delivers journalism of the highest standard. And a lot of it, every day. Even if they too have drastically cut back on the number of reporters and editors they employ, and they publish fewer and smaller pages and with bigger text than they did before.

As at The Guardian, their high quality journalism is producing results:

New York Times signs up more online subscribers, shares rise
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-n...-idUSKCN1SE1L3

I was also until very recently a long time subscriber to The New Yorker. They tackle complex issues in even greater depth. My current lapse in my subscription is only for practical reasons. I'm Jonesing to pick that up again.

Two more I love are The Atlantic and Harpers. But I gave those up for the New Yorker some long time ago. Again for practical reasons. I just didn't have time.

The Economist is another excellent source of information. I have off and on been a subscriber for decades, and I never stopped listening to their podcasts.

Speaking of podcasts, they too can be an excellent source of news. I listen to many. Some of my favorites are from NPR, WNYC, the Guardian, the BBC, and the NY Times, as well as several more topic-oriented ones.

I've heard Apple is going to come out with bundle of magazines and news papers for ten a month, but it appears to be like cable in that most of the choices will be of little interest to me. However I think that will be the model going forward as more and more paywalls get erected.

Don't get your hopes up Apple News will benefit journalism. All signs are that if anything, it may be another nail in the coffin. It's probably no better than when Facebook courted publishers, only Apple demands an even bigger cut:

Apple reportedly demanding a staggering 50 percent of revenue with ‘Netflix for news’ subscription
https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/12/1...ers-media-deal

Apple News Plus is a fine way to read magazines, but a disappointment to anyone wishing for a real boost for the news business
https://www.niemanlab.org/2019/03/ap...news-business/

Support media, particularly local media. We need in depth reporting and watchful eyes more than ever.

Hear hear!

Something else I wonder is whether journalism should be dependent on advertising in the first place. Many believe that model is at best troubled, if not outright broken from the start. For example:

The Guardian view on journalism and advertising: selling the news short
https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ing-news-short

It's easy to convincingly theorize how local news outlets have similarly turned a blind eye to corporate malfeasance in Detroit.

The Salt Lake City Tribune just announced they are becoming a 501[[c)[[3) non-profit organization:

Salt Lake Tribune seeks to become a nonprofit ‘community asset,’ a first for a legacy newspaper
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/05/...tribune-seeks/

There are many complications with that approach, but in desperate times it's an idea worth further exploration. ProPublica produces great journalism. And there are many other examples of success:

A new look at local nonprofit news sites finds revenues of more than $325 million, 2,200 journalists
https://www.poynter.org/business-wor...0-journalists/