Thursday, June 07, 2007

Newspapers going the way of buses?

Once upon a time, the U.S. had excellent streetcar and bus service. In many cities one rarely had to wait more than 10 minutes for a streetcar or bus. And then more people got cars. The car was more convenient and flexible. Fewer people took public transit. As few people took public transit, the service was cut back. As service was cut back, fewer people took public transit. As...

Once upon a time, the U.S. had many excellent regional and local newspapers. And then came television and the internet. The one encapsulated the news into soundbites for the lazy of mind and the other provided a treasure trove for the inquisitive of mind. Either way, fewer people subscribed to newspapers. As fewer people subscribed the newspapers cut back on services. As the newspapers cut back on services, fewer people subscribed. As...