Bankruptcy, Bias and Blather

It was with a mixed sense of sorrow and schaedenfreud that I read that the Tribune Company is broke and may be preparing for bankruptcy.  Source! and Source Deux

The Tribune Company as a conglomerate owns several media properties – including our local hometown newspaper “The Orlando Sentinel”.

I have always loved reading the news in paper – there is something that is classic old school about reading it – first thing in the morning with a ‘cup of joe’ or  being able to fold it up cram it in a laptop case and take it anywhere, save a relevant article or even tear out a coupon for an oil change.

For at least four generations the Orlando Sentinel – and before the merger, the Evening Star were staples in our home. Back in the day – before cable news, let alone the “24 hour news cycle” there was always something comfortable – about daily delivery. Like a trusted friend, like a part of the family the paper was eagerly welcomed into our home.

For our household, getting the news delivered in paper stopped when I was forced to cancel our home delivery. Breach of trust issues and an almost subversive embrace of every liberal cause and politician possible were the main culprits. That and the now constant leaking of editorial content into the news copy were the final straw.

Often, I would lament to a dear friend who actually works for Tribune in new-media – that a particular idea as embraced by the editorial side would have a negative long term impact on readership only to be met with a resigned response “Yea I know”.

The solution to “declining circulation” and it’s companion; “falling revenue” is simple: more fact and less opinion! However, in our post-modern culture were truth has become relative, “facts” are subjective and honesty has been sacrificed to spin, there is little likelihood that we will see more veracity and less duplicity.

 “The Truth is out there” and does exist independently of our own ability to “self delude”.