So Long, and Thanks for All the Inq
I’ve been generally aware that Knight-Ridder, the company that owns the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, has been cutting budgets and trying to squeeze more profit out of the papers. I’ve also been aware that some pretty heavy staff cuts are hitting both papers. But it wasn’t until I saw Daniel Rubin’s latest post at Blinq that I realized how many voices that have been part of Philadelphia for as long as I can remember are leaving.
When I was a kid, I used to love to read the paper, especially the sports and features sections but also the political news. I remember columnists and critics like Bill Lyon and Desmond Ryan. I remember recognizing their bylines or seeing those little photo boxes that acompanied a column, and I remember how much I wanted to follow in those footsteps once upon a time. I don’t like the circumstances under which these folks are leaving, but I value them for being a part of the public discourse in this city for so long, and giving a certain continuity to the conversation.
I’ve recently read a book called Civic Literacy that I’ll blog about more when I finish doing some background and fact-checking, but one of the book’s claims is that reading newspapers is a far better means of staying informed than watching television news. I really hope the current state of media economics doesn’t hasten the demise of this vital resource.
About Dave Thomer
Born and raised in Philadelphia. Studied philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, where I made many great friends and met my wonderful wife. We moved back to Philadelphia, where I studied philosophy some more and became a teacher. Online and off, I'm looking for ways that we can be better citizens and build stronger communities.