Well, the two best.
I am now a full-fledged subscriber to what the lovely Sarah Palin used to call the 'lamestream media'.
We need more of the mainstream media, frankly, and I have now scaled the paywalls of both The New York Times and The Globe and Mail. A buck each for the the first month for full digital access, and four and five dollars a month respectively thereafter.
When The National Post goes paywall, I will also subscribe. The Sun? Maybe not, but the local papers, most definitely.
I have done this not only because I respect people who can correctly use the words respectively and thereafter, but because as a person who works in media, I understand very well that the people who work in media like to eat. They also like to pay their mortgages, and even in some cases, have benefits like extended healthcare or perhaps a pension.
The current media model has been broken by the Internet, so a lot of industries have had to change. When was the last time you used a travel agency, for example?
Many people do not understand this piece of truth and are peeved about having to pay for something that has been free for about ten years. I, too love a bargain, but that old adage about getting what you pay for is very often true in the world of media. If you want your breaking news from a twitter feed, by all means, get your information from a kid with a smartphone. I want that information also, but I want my analysis from someone who has no grudge or vested interest, who has put in the time, the hours and the dedication to figure out what's going on, with the experience to see trends and offer genuine, thorough thought to their stories.
Yes, there are lazy professional journalists. There are also lazy cops, judges, personal assistants, dental hygienists, mechanics and electricians; all of us have our days. At the end of the day, do you want your news and information from a professional, or a professional tweeter?
I have voted with my wallet for they type of information I want. The real kind, produced by paid people.
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