The Los Angeles Times has always been my newspaper of choice. The New York Times is too distant and impersonal, and the local paper seems to be taking all its tips from the Cosmo Bedside Astrologer. In addition to my appreciation of good reporting, I'm also a fan of dynasty and empire (see: my recent move to England).
Unfortunately, every empire that rises must eventually fall, and owner Sam Zell seems determined to dismantle the paper and sell the parts for scrap. Over the past year more than 250 reporters have been let go, and the paper has been reduced by 15%. Unfortunately, Zell seems to be valuing reporters based on column inches produced, which puts investigative reporters at a tangible disadvantage.
Now I know I'm something of a neo-luddite with a pathological fear of technology and change, but this seems to be an undeniable shift for the worse. Media reporting is fucking essential. Fear of public exposure is one of the few things that keep our politicians and businessmen (sort of, a little, at least pretending to be) honest. Where is the outrage?
1 comment:
I'm curious. Do you follow LAtimes.com from London? I try to use a Korean source as my main news outlet to keep up on what's happening locally, though the lack of international stories and the obnoxiousness of the comments keeps me going back to nytimes.com kind of, maybe a little obsessively. And it's funny, I always hated nyt growing up cuz the font bothered me a little, as did the lack of the funny pages.
Post a Comment