Do you pay for your news?

bfun_x1

Senior member
May 29, 2015
475
155
116
I was wondering who here pays for their news and why. I started paying for the Washington Post about a year ago. I felt that their investigating journalism was especially important right now and I wanted to do my part to ensure it continues. I also listen to NPR and feel a little guilty that I've never donated.
 
Jan 25, 2011
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I've been giving it more and more consideration. I guess it just depends on how many of my preferred sites go to a paywall format.
 

Thebobo

Lifer
Jun 19, 2006
18,592
7,673
136
I pay for an online subscription to the Washington post. Been meaning to do the NY times as well as I want to support real journalism as much as I can.
 

pmv

Lifer
May 30, 2008
13,298
8,213
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I don't, but I probably would if I had to (i.e. if the Guardian and the Mail and the BBC and various other random English-language newspapers around the world went paywall, and if the NYT installed a paywall that wasn't so easily subverted!).

But I'd regret it, because if I had to pay a subscription I'd almost certainly only feel able to justify one, so I'd only get one angle on the news.

This is my worry about the digital era generally, if everything goes strictly paywalled and subscription only (i.e. moves to a service model, as music and movies and so many other media are doing) I worry it will make information _less_ accessible than it was in the pre-internet days.

In the days of printed newspapers you would find copies of papers left on trains or in cafes, and could easily read yesterday's news for free. I know that sounds 'cheap', but it's more that it means you encounter a diversity of views, almost by accident, without having to go out of your way to pay for it. Now you either have the paid-for right to read a paper's back-catalog, or it's entirely closed to you. A bit like the way that digital distribution of music and games destroys the second-hand market.

I'm not sure about it, but paywalls and subscriptions seem to me to potentially encourage an information bubble.
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
22,006
20,241
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I do my small little bit. Been donating to NPR for the last 6 years or so. Pay for the NYT and WaPO subscriptions. I've on and off paid subscriptions to a couple other sources as well but those haven't stuck yet.

Sometimes you have to pay for freedom.
 
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UNCjigga

Lifer
Dec 12, 2000
24,843
9,092
136
Between my wife and I, we pay for NYT, WaPo, Guardian and ProPublica (all digital-only.) But funny enough, I do not support the local papers (I might eventually get Triangle Business Journal though.) None of the local papers appeal to me.

Edit: forgot that I am an NPR sustainer for my local station, so there's my local support!
 

Newfangle9

Member
Sep 23, 2012
56
9
71
I don't visit any news sites directly. I click on a link to an article from another site like Drudge Report and I am hitting more and more paywalls these days. I understand Newspapers are really hurting badly because of the internet and I am sorry. I love Newspapers. I have loved reading them since I was a kid. I want them to stick around because I am old fashioned. I prefer to hold an actual newspaper in my hands to a tablet or phone. The thing is though, am I expected to subscribe, or pay 99 cents or so to read every article. It's not unusual for me to click on twenty or even thirty or more links in a day. I could rather easily spend thirty or more dollars a day to read some articles. Not gonna do that.
 

bfun_x1

Senior member
May 29, 2015
475
155
116
I don't visit any news sites directly. I click on a link to an article from another site like Drudge Report and I am hitting more and more paywalls these days. I understand Newspapers are really hurting badly because of the internet and I am sorry. I love Newspapers. I have loved reading them since I was a kid. I want them to stick around because I am old fashioned. I prefer to hold an actual newspaper in my hands to a tablet or phone. The thing is though, am I expected to subscribe, or pay 99 cents or so to read every article. It's not unusual for me to click on twenty or even thirty or more links in a day. I could rather easily spend thirty or more dollars a day to read some articles. Not gonna do that.

I check about 5 news sources a day. Paying for one makes me feel like I'm contributing to the news food chain but if I had to pay for all of them I'd certainly read a lot less and I'd be limited to just 1 or 2 view points.
 
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Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
We subscribe to the NYT & the Denver Post. I think everybody needs to support their local newspaper or there won't be any, not a good thing. They cover a range of subjects we won't find on national news or television, either.
 
Reactions: Thebobo

bfun_x1

Senior member
May 29, 2015
475
155
116
We subscribe to the NYT & the Denver Post. I think everybody needs to support their local newspaper or there won't be any, not a good thing. They cover a range of subjects we won't find on national news or television, either.

I'm still bitter about the Rocky Mountain News.
 

Thebobo

Lifer
Jun 19, 2006
18,592
7,673
136
I do my small little bit. Been donating to NPR for the last 6 years or so. Pay for the NYT and WaPO subscriptions. I've on and off paid subscriptions to a couple other sources as well but those haven't stuck yet.

Sometimes you have to pay for freedom.

Good for you. I forgot about NPR, when I'm not listing to an audiobook on my commute its NPR. But my local station took science friday of their schedule :|
 

MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
22,006
20,241
136
Good for you. I forgot about NPR, when I'm not listing to an audiobook on my commute its NPR. But my local station took science friday of their schedule :|

Indeed, NPR is on my car radio at all time. Why would they take Science Friday away lol. Maybe they were broke?

If I had better finances I'd pay for slate plus and also donate to the Guardian.
 

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,832
38
91
I pay for a newspaper, I get 3 a week. I like the funnies especially to go with my Sunday breakfast.
 

HeXen

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2009
7,832
38
91
You... touch physical paper?! How old do you have to be...?

Do you really think I care? Am I supposed to go around and do what others do or expect? Lol, that's a pathetic way to live your life.
 

deathBOB

Senior member
Dec 2, 2007
566
228
116
No, but I should.

I guess technically public broadcasting, but I only do that to get access to streaming content.
 

deathBOB

Senior member
Dec 2, 2007
566
228
116
Indeed, NPR is on my car radio at all time. Why would they take Science Friday away lol. Maybe they were broke?

If I had better finances I'd pay for slate plus and also donate to the Guardian.

“Science Friday” i.e. people explain science to a confused old man with an annoying accent.
 

bfun_x1

Senior member
May 29, 2015
475
155
116
“Science Friday” i.e. people explain science to a confused old man with an annoying accent.

According to his biography he's been doing Science Journalism for 48 years and has 20 awards. I'd bet that he has accumulated more scientific knowledge than any of his guest but just plays the role of curious outsider for his program.
 

Thebobo

Lifer
Jun 19, 2006
18,592
7,673
136
Ira Flatow? Yea he's been around forever, was surprised how much I've seen his face when I just searched for a picture of him. Yea the local DC area NPR station took SF off the air which made my friday commute home more miserable. He wasn't always perfect but I listened to it every friday.
 

Thebobo

Lifer
Jun 19, 2006
18,592
7,673
136
Most of the sites with good journalist are paywalled and most news online news sources don't have good journalism. We need real journalism not blogs and opinion pieces as news sources.
 
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