It was only last August that the Journal Star raised subscription rates to $19.50 per month. Shortly after that, the paper started getting thinner. Sections that used to have six pages only had four, for example. Then in January 2009, they gave pink slips to five reporters.
So, of course, the Journal Star is raising subscription rates again. In a letter dated October 20, Circulation Manager Bruce Nielsen said, “Effective November 23, 2009, your new rate will be $20.58 per month. That is an increase of less than four cents per day.”
Fewer reporters. Thinner papers. Higher subscription rates. Meanwhile, non-subscribers get the same news at no cost via the pjstar.com website. I guess I really am a sucker (as are all other subscribers) for continuing to pay them for content they’re giving away free to everyone else.
Is being able to do the crossword on paper worth $20/month? The Jumble? The Cryptoquqote?
Aaah. Decisions!
Thanks for the post. I received a sealed enveloped from PJS today. The envelope was empty and I was wondering what was supposed to have been in ti! :-}
Count me in the sucker category.
I have to have the hard copy in my grubby hands on a daily basis.
I like reading online, but the actual paper is still king in my book.
Related, but off subject: CJ, it must take a lot of energy to be such a pessimist. I cannot remember the last time you authored a post that had anything good to say about anything. Is there nothing about this community that brings a smile to your face?
Aw, Sud, you don’t need to go fishing for a compliment like that. You know you always bring a smile to my face! 🙂
Sud…maybe pessimist=realist?
If Sud O. Nym had been there….
ANDREWS: The pumps buy you time… but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder.
ISMAY: But this ship can’t sink!
ANDREWS: She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. And she will. It is a mathematical certainty.
SUD O. NYM: Andrews, it must take a lot of energy to be such a pessimist. Is there nothing about this ship that brings a smile to your face?
If Sud O. Nym had been there….
HERBERT MORRISON: The back motors of the ship are just holding it (uh) just enough to keep it from…It’s burst into flames! It burst into flames, and it’s falling, it’s crashing! … It’s crashing terrible! It’s burning and bursting into flames and the… and it’s falling on the mooring mast…. it’s a terrific crash, ladies and gentlemen. It’s smoke, and it’s in flames now; and the frame is crashing to the ground, not quite to the mooring mast. Oh, the humanity!
SUD O. NYM: Herbie, it must take a lot of energy to be such a pessimist. Is there nothing about the Hindenberg that brings a smile to your face?
Having fun, CJ?
I guess you miss my point. I have no problem with the criticism. I agree with you 60-80% of the time. I find you articulate and well-researched. But you NEVER have ANYTHING nice to say about anything in Peoria. We no doubt have problems, and serious ones at that. Maybe tossing in a few positive things to you would be like complimenting the loveliness of the state room on the Titanic. I used to think Bill Dennis was the most jaded blogger in Peoria, but at least he tosses in the occasional “attaboy” or, even better, some eye candy. I just doubt that you will ever recognize even the smallest achievement that our community might make, unless to use said achievement as a foil in your larger view of our doom. And I just think that is kind of sad.
Tell me this: If you liken Peoria to either the Titanic or the Hindenburg, why not jump off? If you were on the Titantic, and knew it was going to sink, wouldn’t you be in a lifeboat by now? Your analogy doesn’t work because the only thing you are contributing is hollering at the captain.
Print media is in real trouble because people don’t want to pay more for less. The news outlets find it difficult to charge for Internet publication as well because it is much more difficult to cram all those advertisements into the available bandwidth. This evolution of change will eventually mean the extinction of the printed newspaper. Too expensive and too slow.
Sud: When CJ provides a different approach them lemmings over the cliff — people take issue with it.
Museum — not against the museum —- deeply concerned about the plan as presented — weak financials, lack of funding, not 24/7 et al and let’s redo a better plan which would have a greater degree of success. No go — we know it all.
Basic Services — at the mercy of an annual $4M drain on taxpayers for a downtown hotel while basics are unfunded or de-funded — police, fire (well not so much as before), streets. Hotel only one example of single use projets which have not produced results as projected. A lot of hype and little show.
And so on….
The consistent theme, as I read it in CJ’s posts —- same thinking producing the same results while debt increases and the city deteriorates.
I feel that you tend to broad brush outspoken commenters on CJ’s blog regarding the fact that the same MO produces the same insanity and is producing more taxes while basics suffer. There are multiple sides to each citizen and much good is being done in many areas.
No doubt there is a lot of good occuring in our city. Think of all the volunteer hours spent on doing good and helping other people to be uplifted. Even critics like CJ and myself volunteer many hours to help other people although you might not know about that side of our personalities.
The people are the most underutilized resource in our city. No long term vision created by a mission / vision from the rank and file citizens. Think Heart of Peoria plan — rank and file input — city council adopts in concept — translation — not for this plan and little to no implementation and so it goes.
We need to build a better block — one block at a time in this city. Each person can start with their own block or in their own circle of influence.
Nevertheless, our city needs a definite plan that multiple governemental agencies are working on the SAME plan to build a better city. Not silo management isolated in separate fiefdoms taxing citizens to the poorhouse and little results to show for the policy decisions implemented.
Citizens want those campaigning for office to talk with them after they are elected and stay in touch. Citizens want to be part of the solutions. Again, they are the most underutilized resource our fair city has to offer to turn around the problems if there were only a plan from the grassroots level that our community would implement.
If there weren’t pessimists in the world, there would be no need to improve anything, and the optimists would have nothing to crow about.
This one is for SUD………………….
On a happier note………………………
It looks like that ridiculous, money-pit of a museum is over and out! At least the city/county won’t be able to waste our tax dollars on that thing!
Now we only have to worry about what they WILL waste our tax dollars on?!?
Congrats to all those who supported a [better] plan!
Happy, happy, joy, joy…………………………………….
I’m sorry I said anything. I don’t doubt the sincerity you all feel in criticizing things and pointing out flaws. I do that myself. I have no doubt that you are all working in your own ways to improve our community. I guess I just wonder why I never see any recognition on this blog about some of the good decisions that are made, or some of the positive things that are being done. Hey, its your blog. I guess I just hope that you do see some balance in the world.
Just as a comparison…
The San Diego Union Tribune, which used to be owned by the same folks that owned the PJS, makes you pay either for 3 months, 6 months or a year in adavance.
The 3 month option is $59.55 (there is no further discount for the 6 or 12 month option). Over the last year or so, the size of the paper has been dramatically reduced. While there are the same basic number of sections, most have gone from 6-8 pages to 2-6 pages, with the exception of the A section, which is still about 20 pages or so. The paper prints TV listings in each dialy paper, but if you wan’t a weekly TV “guide”, it costs extra.
In March of this year, the same subscription was $55.50.
For a while, the SDUT was advertising on TV that you basically get the paper free because of all the coupons in the Sunday paper. That is true, if you buy 30 gallons of hair dye, sham-wows, fuzzy slippers and other non-food trinkets over a 3 month period. That ad campaign lasted about a month.
Sud: Sorry you feel that way. Your comments are important. When citizens feeling AND being treated that their thoughts and feelings are important and of worth — even though there is a difference in their thoughts and feelings — that is how our community improves …. when policy makers act on those thoughts and ideas — -not the silo management ideas in years and decades past!
In our community — we rarely confront the dragons — we deny that there are any dragons and the dragons only get larger because we lack courage to acknowledge the dragons and get rid of the dragons. I am reminded of Jack Kent’s book …. There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon.
(http://www.amazon.com/Theres-No-Such-Thing-Dragon/dp/0375851372 — you can look inside at this link!)
Until we have the courage as a community to acknowledge and discuss failed policies, issues of race, religion, socioeconomic, disabilities … ‘our dragons’ … in a respectful and non-violent way (please read more at this link)
(http://www.arbinger.com/downloads/principles_of_non_violence.pdf)
then our community will pretty much stay the same, in my opinion, on the wrong course and we can expect the same outcome and further decline.
Not to put you on the spot and not to be a smart alec — what would be on your list for recognition about some of the good decisions that are made …?
Sud — I am jaded. I make no pretense that I’m not. There’s not a lot to be optimistic about right now in Peoria, sadly. I wish there were. Believe me, I wish there were.
Maybe with this increase the PJStar will be able to actually deliver the paper.
On time.
Every day.
Here’s a shout out for Sud…
My Journal Star, at my doorstep every day at or before 5:30 A.M.
Karrie, while I agree about naming our dragons, I also think we need to acknowledge our knights. I’m not suggesting it all has to be bubblegum and roses. Pessimism is fine — I’m a bit of a pessimist myself. It is cynicism that bothers me. And when I see 100 stories about everything that is bad about Peoria, and none that are good, I just think that is kind of sad. Maybe I should be more concerned about Peoria than CJ.
There are serious problems with this community and its leadership. But good things are also happening. The paper today talks about a new development in the warehouse area. Maybe that isn’t good news because it involves a TIF, but it seemed like a good omen to me.
An example of something that is right in Peoria: http://peoriarocks.blogspot.com/2009/10/peoria-honors-its-neighborhood-do-ers.html