Poll: Do You Still Take a Daily Newspaper?

[Teacher Terry]

I used to get a physical paper but deliverey was horrible no matter how much I complained. Switched to digital for 7/month versus 30. I voted yes also.

 

[Gumby]

We take the local paper daily, although the young wife usually ends up reading it on her tablet. I prefer to read the actual paper version that lands on our front walk every morning. After reading it, the paper has myriad other uses, too.

 

[Ronstar]

I have never had a subscription for a daily newspaper - print or digital. I did have the local weekly newspaper for a few months once. If I ever get a newspaper subscription again, it will be digital. But i don’t think it will happen.

 

[LauAnn]

I get a hard copy newspaper Thursday thru Sunday which allows access to an e-edition for the entire week. I pretty much take the Sunday paper for the craft coupons and the other days for the obituaries.

 

[travelover]

New York Times on line.

 

[6miths]

Used to deliver them but haven't had one delivered for many years. Still like the feel.

DW has an electronic subscription to the NY Times.

 

[brucethebroker]

Been reading the paper online for nearly 20 years now.

Printed newspapers: yesterday's news today!

 

[Midpack]

Been reading the paper online for nearly 20 years now.

Printed newspapers: yesterday's news today!

That’s another reason we don’t take a paper newspaper. News appears online in minutes more often than not...

 

[DrRoy]

I subscribe to the "daily" paper, but it only delivers 3 days a week. I only read the hard copy. It is my main source of news on the state level. National I mainly get on TV/online, and international from The Economist.

 

[donheff]

I get a copy of the Washington Post delivered daily. I like to page through a physical paper while I drink my coffee. I read it electronically on an iPad when I travel but, even there, I select the print view. I just like newspapers. My parents got three Chicago dailies while they were available.

 

[frank]

physical paper delivered on sunday and online edition. I would cancel physical delivery altogether but dw likes to read an actual paper once in a while.

 

[Newventurer]

Can’t clean the windows with an iPad

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Never heard anyone refer to it as "taking a newspaper", is that regional terminology?

I think it's because us Noo Yawkuhs grew up with either delivery on the front stoop or buying a newspaper at a newsstand or vending machine on the way to work. The last two would be where you could literally take/grab/pick up a paper, as opposed to delivery, so if someone from NYC said "take a paper", I'd think they meant literally grabbing one from one of those last two options, possibly without paying. I would guess that in most non-urban locales, the only choice is delivery if you want a daily paper, so there is no need for that distinction.

See, ma, those linguistics and behavioral science courses weren't a complete waste!

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Can’t clean the windows with an iPad

Can't wrap presents in online comics either! Another gem from my LBYM rearing!

 

[HadEnuff]

Nope..haven't for years and years. Small town, small paper, got increasingly worthless as they let the local reporters retire, or they just let them go, and filed the paper with items from news services....

For a while I had it delivered to my waiting room office of my dental practice, for the patients to read, but eventually I stopped even doing that.

I have friends and family member who still get the paper every day, and read it faithfully. When I remember, I collect the old papers and clean my fish on them.

 

[brucethebroker]

Can’t clean the windows with an iPad

You sure about that?

 

[brucethebroker]

Can't wrap presents in online comics either! Another gem from my LBYM rearing!

I agree.
I use newspapers for shipping. My neighbor still gets the daily and is happy to let me have her past copies.

 

[Chuckanut]

I subscribe to the WSJ. I find their reporting to be of much better quality than the news media in general. In regards to their editorials and opinions sometimes I read one and shout "I've been waiting for somebody to say that!" At other times, I want to take the Opinion section and use it wrap rotten fish as that is all it is obviously good for.

I no longer subscribe to a so-called 'local' paper. I dropped it several years ago when I realized that I knew more about the people running for Mayor and city council in the nearby Big City the paper is named after, than I did about those running in my own smaller city. They closed their bureau that used to cover my city and others like it, and now have very poor coverage of anything that goes on outside of the Big City limits. I do this reluctantly, but feel that the 'local' paper no longer covers local issues in my area. It other words, it is not local for me.

 

[akidagain2018]

Locally, it's more expensive to pay for online only access than print and online access. I pay for both, but mostly for the online content, and for the Sunday paper. I often put my print delivery on vacation hold during the week so I don't have to deal with the extra papers.

Do you put it on vacation most or all weekdays? I was thinking about switching around to do something like this, so i don't have the papers for the recycling bin on days i'm less likely to read it, that being days i'm not on public transpo.

 

[audreyh1]

Interesting that less than half of us get a print paper, and we're the older demographic that is supposedly more prone to get info the old way. I wonder how low the numbers are for the younger generations?

Our neighbors (was 70s versus 50s for us a few years ago) would sometimes have us pick up their paper when they were gone. And they were always amazed that we returned them unread - never could quite believe it. That may be the generation gap?

 

[audreyh1]

I find it funny that people tend to get all worked up over the national news when it's state, county and municipal governments that tend to have the greatest impact on Americans' lives. Of course, local TV news focuses on car crashes and shootouts -- government seldom gets much attention.

That's why I get my local paper. It's far from perfect; in fact, it's not very good. But if something is going down locally that's likely to affect my life on an ongoing basis, I get a little warning. From there I can check the situation out on my own. School referendums, small-scale misfeasance or malfeasance are things that could affect my vote in an upcoming election.

Even the obituaries -- I have to admit it's the first thing I check every day at this point in my life.

It is the national news that gets the most of the broadcast and newspaper coverage - front pages, etc.

An active news consumer will seek out news that has more impact on their personal life.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Actually surprised the percentage of those who get a subscription, in any form , is so high. I have not since my father died in 1997 (I cared for him in my home for decades as his physical and then mental health declined). And I would have ended it sooner than that if it were not for his desire to have it.

Can easily get all the local news I want online without a subscription, or on radio and OTA TV for anything really "breaking". National news biases are so over the top now that I just read in depth online about any issues I really have an interest in.

I suppose those who make more effort than I do to collect coupons may see a benefit to the Sunday paper, although one can get those, coupons, on line now too.

 

[HillCountry]

I read the local newspaper when I am eating lunch. I can see the quality going down over the years. Even the local/metro section just articles from Washington Post or something. Monday typically is the worst. Guess news men just take the weekend off.

 

[athena53]

What I really miss is the local freebie paper- it was a labor of love by a guy who tried to keep it running almost single-handedly and died of a heart attack while delivering a bunch of them. They did offer paid subscriptions and DH and I paid just to support it. I miss the local coverage of political issues, even though EVERY weekly issue contained a long wheeze by a local politician.

When DH died, I paid a small fortune to have his obit published in the nearby Big City paper and was a bit disgruntled to see it lifted and posted in the freebie paper (I assume they had a deal with Big City paper to share obits of residents). Then I figured that it was good to provide material for him. Too bad he edited out some of the details, including the note that DH "was the best of travel companions".

 

[mickeyd]

We have received the local paper for 30+ years but I intend to cancel it this month. Too much liberal crap to pay $27/month for.