A City Without A Newspaper?
Lots of hand-wringing about how the earth might stop spinning on its axis or how we might all turn to salt if newspapers were to disappear. Now, don’t me get wrong. I’m all for newspapers, in principle (though I am doubtful about their viability).
But we’re constantly told what a devastating blow it would be to Civic Life if a city were left without a newspaper.
In that spirit I reproduce a screen shot of the L.A. Times taken just before midnight on Monday, just shy of 8 hours before the polls open in a citywide election.
There is no mention of said election on the electronic front page of the Times, the supposed paper of record for America’s second largest city. No further comment.
March 3rd, 2009 at 9:04 am
Look on the bright side: The paper published today. It won’t be too long before we see the banner headline: “So Long, L.A.”
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 am
that’s all true, marc, but what i want to know is “will watchmen be big enough?”
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:10 pm
I agree.
I think the Watchmen story is much bigger.
Actually, I’m serious, given what’s happening or more accurately, not happening in this election.
Still, it should have been, you know, mentioned …
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
marc, all that proves is that LA has been without a newspaper for quite some time now. And, I’d put it to you that civic life has suffered.
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:24 pm
who needs a newspaper when you can watch Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations.
There are people living off the fat of the land; wading onto reefs and plucking from the surf sea urchin and coconut crab then dining al fresco outside their shack and eating the most outrageously delicious food off banana leaves. For the evening entertainment they don’t turn on TV– for one no electricity–but sing and play the ukelele.
If everyone lived like that we wouldn’t need newspapers to wax bullshit about local elections…or some cold mechanisitic sci fi flick.
News papers are for people who can’t imagine.
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:47 pm
This was depressing shit.
March 4th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
[...] Cooper noted on Monday, and I noticed as well but didn’t have the presence of mind to take a screenshot, [...]
February 16th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Amazing post! I just can’t seem to ever get this principle thru other peoples head. Whenever people take note of saturated fat, they immediately think it’s bad.