Should you subscribe to your own publication?

Big difference between helping newsside gather news and get the facts right on a sports-related story that we're also doing something on and going out and trying to sell papers because the people whose job that is aren't able to do it right.

When no family lives in the circulation area and the only friends in the circulation area co-workers you've known since college, hitting up friends and family isn't doable.

 

I worked at a paper that sent very blunt e-mails to employees who weren't subscribing to the paper. No discount either. So I got it home delivered. Then I asked a co-worker who lived in the same area but had a different carrier why we got the second edition and not the final edition. He said he always got the final edition. We finally figured out my carrier didn't feel like hanging around for the later edition, so he would grab earlier runs and drop them off so he could get to his morning job. We blew the whistle on him to the circ mgr during a company retreat by innocently asking questions about delivery patterns vis a vis our competition. Felt good, too.

 

Not much of an offering. Smart-assed and intentionally obtuse. It's called taking the thing home and reading it or going through it on a break, jackass.

 

You don't subscribe to the paper for which you work? Why should I?

 

I often read my paper at work and others online ... my bosses don't care... obviously if that's all I did I wouldn't have a job but it's part of my job to know what's going on so there's nothing wrong with doing it AT my job.

 

I subscribe -- believe someone even told me I had to when I was hired here (and at my last paper) -- but our circulation department's real close to losing me. I like our paper, think its designed pretty well and gives pretty good info.
But when I have to go out of town three-four times a month and I come back to a stack of papers on my doorstep, it pisses me off. I mean, how many times do I have to tell circulation to hold my paper (which in my case, I give them to NIE). I really don't want every person in my neighborhood knowing when I'm out of town.
Now magnify that: How does Joe Reader feel when the same thing happens to them?

 

Count me in as one who doesn't subscribe.

At this shop, as is the case at many papers, the ME is all about online. Our Web site has more exclusive content on a daily basis than the print addition. In the end, it's better than the print product. Way better. And it's free. In place of a paid subscription, they get my page views. Twice a day sometimes.

However, even before online became the focus, I didn't subscribe. And when "reads the paper daily" was axed from our performance reviews, the reasons to read it diminished even further. And I can't find any reason to financially support a paper that has been turning a 22 percent profit every year, while at the same time forcing employees to pay to park in the unsecured company lot. Screw that. I'll happily park four blocks away.

I like our paper and the Web site, bust my ass to make both better and routinely complement the work of my colleagues. But absolutely no flippin' way in San Juan hell are they getting one red cent of my money.

 

Most newspapers' circulation offices are crap.

I think the entire industry for some reason de-values circulation. But they're the ones the public interacts with the most ... not the reporters ...

I remember my last paper would always call the reporters in for a meeting and ask us how we could draw more readers ... fair question but 9/10 people I talk to drop it because their paper never gets there. I got it for free - when I got it. When I was in the office on weekends I personally would deliver papers to people who didn't get their Sunday edition on occassion ... not the f'in circulation guy .. just to try and save a subscriber or two ..

Hell one time I was at my desk and got a freakin' solicitation call from my own newspaper to buy a subscription ... huh?

I like the paper I'm at now but circulation isn't much better. I'll be interviewing people and they'll stop and ask me how they can complain about their delivery ... it's all about customer service.

 

Free delivery, every day, plastic bags every day there's a forecast (even minimal) for rain, and I always read it front to back.

If we were told or prodded to subscribe, I wouldn't do it. I can get it for free online or at the office.

I probably wouldn't subscribe if I didn't work there but still lived in the town. I can get it for free online or I might drop a few coins in a rack.

 

I worked at a 40,000 paper a few years ago. We had to subscribe. It was taken out of our paychecks.

 

"Should you subscribe to your own publication?" Hell, yes, if you have any pride in what you do. Otherwise, get the hell out.

It's always amazed me that reporters and editors think because they get the first or second edition free they don't have to subscribe.

That's just bullshit, and if you believe it you ought to go sell shoes, where at least you will be where the customer and the product come together.

I agree that the LA Times guy doesn't quite put it the way us journalistis would like to hear it, but he is absolutely right.

Most papers will sell you a subscription for half price, and if you have any pride in what you do, take them up on it.

Otherwise, go sell shoes.

Frankly, I think subscribing ought to be a condition of employment, because, if you are going to bitch about what it's like to cover a game or work for an asshole editor, you ought to understand how the person on the other end feels about getting the paper late because you don't get your story in on time or somebody screws up getting the TV section put together. Yeah, we all make mistakes, but we all ought to accept the consequences of those mistakes on the people who ultimately make it possible for us to continue to be employed.

Another rant: One of the most dishonest, lying claims is reporters insisting that, even if they don't subscribe, they read the paper in the office. We all know that's crap. They may read their own stuff so they can bitch about how it was edited, but don't kid me that even if they don't subscribe they read the paper. Doesn't happen, and you can lie all you want about it, but if you don't pay for it, you don't read it.

 

That's absurd at best. What if I paid for a subscription, got up every day, opened my front door, grabbed the paper and threw it into the recycling bin? Is that reading it?

I'm still not ashamed to say I don't subscribe to my paper when I read all the stories, watch videos and read the local blogs online for free. I'm cheap. It's as simple as that.

I don't think the problem is that people don't want to read, it's just that most people are cheap as well. Everybody wants something for nothing. That's just human nature.