What does it tell you when a media blog drops the local paper?

Fascinatingly enough, I saw this morning where the blog Bottom Line Communications is dropping their Kansas City Star subscription.

Yowza.

What's that tell you?

The Star is looking more and more like Blockbuster Video--a company that is old technology--and going down.

Just as BLC laments, I hate to see this happen.

They ask a great question over there:  "What business model features increased prices and reduced quality and hopes to survive?"

And the only answer to that question is the US Postal Service.

And we all know how that's going to turn out.

It really is sad.

I wrote about this earlier here.

I want to take the paper and I want it to be relevant but it has to be both relevant and a good value and it's just not.  As they point out over there at BLC, the price keeps going up, up, up and the content and quality of that same content keeps getting worse and worse.  I don't think anyone could deny that.  Well, they couldn't unless they're on the staff of the Star.

It does't portend good things for society, either.  We used to all have this base of information we began with, whether it was Walter Cronkite or the local newspaper or whatever.  Now, fewer and fewer people are even remotely aware of current events locally, regionally, nationally or internationally and if they do read or watch things, they are usually sources that merely reinforce their own preconceived opinions.

It doesn't bode well for us as a people and country.

There is an article out today at Alternet, pointing out that the Southern Poverty Law Center registered a 22% rise in "radical Right-wing hate, 'patriot' and militia groups" last year and a 40% rise the year before.  I would submit that there is at least a partial correlation between a lack of information and hard data, and the growth of these groups.  I don't think it's a coincidence.  Things are changing, radically in the US and people don't understand.  They want things back "like they used to be"--an old high school friend of mine said as much to me earlier this year, on Facebook.

We need, as a country and as a people, to be calm and informed.

Once again, I call out for a renewal of the "Fairness Doctrine" in our government over media.

And as soon as possible.

A media blog ending their subscription to the local newspaper.

It's nearly inconceivable.

Nearly.

Links:  http://www.bottomlinecom.com/kcnews/biddingadieutokcstar.html
http://www.alternet.org/rights/150069/number_of_radical_right-wing_hate,_patriot,_and_militia_groups_exploded_in_2010