Chump Change

On Friday, July 13, 2007 The New York Times raised its daily newsstand price from $1:00 to $1.25 and the Sunday edition went from $3.50 to $4.00. I mentioned then how much I thought that sucked. Three weeks later, August 6th, The New York Times got smaller:

To Our Readers

Starting today, The Times
is reducing the width of its
pages by an inch and a half,
to the national newspaper
12-inch standard.

The move cuts newsprint
expenses and, in some print-
ing press locations, makes
special configurations un-
necessary.

Slight modifications in de-
sign preserve the look and
texture of The Times, with
all existing features and sec-
tions and somewhat fewer words
per page.

You’ve got to wonder about the timing of this. You raise the price and then reduce the size only three weeks later? On the editorial page there is another To Our Readers blurb telling us that because of this size reduction available space for letters has been reduced by about a third. But, “Don’t Worry. We are making up for the lost space in the printed paper by expanding the letters section on our Web site, where space is not an issue…”

Well, I’m sorry…I can’t help but worry. Even before this size (and price) innovation, in regular issues of The Times, we were often directed to their Web site for additional or further exploration of a reported topic. Well, okay, but I never bothered. Nor will I bother now with the letters; who cares what you think or, for that matter, what I think. But we just know this is only a harbinger of what will eventually happen. All the news that’s fit to “print” will be on-line and another example of the American Way will expire…that is; my morning coffee (with accompanying nosh) and The Times spread out before me. But first, we will probably go through phases of having less and less paper (and cream cheese) as time goes by. I picture, finally, a very thin Reader’s Digest and, then, nada.

I suppose I should be glad we can help save the forests but, I don’t care, my loyalty to The Times is being eroded from without. I’ve often said I swear by this paper and most of my knowledge, opinions and general attitude are influenced by it. It’s so hard to lose one’s high regard for something in the face of commerce and I shouldn’t be surprised and/or betrayed. It’s my own fault for loving the pedestal more than the monkey on it.