Pound those nails 20% harder!

Not content with the fact that their dead-tree readership is in a death spiral, and their web site has seen commentary plummet thanks to a new comment policy (facebook login required to comment), the local rag has decided to put a few more nails in the coffin:

[W]e will expand the way we deliver information to our readers and focus our reporting on the topics you have told us are most important.
[...]
We will continue to publish our printed newspaper. All subscribers will receive full digital access to our content[.]
[...]
We believe that, as a business, we can no longer give away our unique and valuable content on the Web.

Look, there's a reason for this, kids: your "local rag" isn't local anymore. The writers are quite literally phoning it in. They don't report, hit the street, go to the news - they listen to a scanner and read minutes from public meetings and write blurbs based on that. They'll call the police or fire department afterwards for a statement. Most of their photographers are freelance and stringers.

Why? To cut costs. No need to pay a photographer's salary if you can license a few pictures for $50 or $100 a pop. I can understand that - when there's a camera in every pocket thanks to cell phones, and DSLRs are $400, getting images from breaking news is No Big Deal.

But the writing? That's just plain lazy.

So now, in order to read most of their content online (where they were at least getting SOME ad revenue), you have to have a dead-tree subscription.

Guess what? Not happening. We cancelled our subscription because your writing sucks and is doomed by the lag in print media... but mostly because your writing sucks. It's $12 a month that I can spend elsewhere - like a box of ammo. Somehow you think that not letting me read your crappy writing for free online will motivate me to resubscribe?

Keep hitting that pipe, Sparky - but stop drinking the water.