- It takes me less than 15 minutes to read the entire thing. There is so little actual content that it takes longer to read the comics than the rest of the news.
- The front page rarely has anything of actual Arkansas interest on it. Yes, the world is important, but you are a dinky paper who gets all your foreign news from the wire anyway, so concentrate on where you are.
- You ran the most blatantly racist letter I have ever read outside of a history book the other day, and no-one commented at all. Many of your readers say that you are too liberal in your editorials - all I can say to that is WTF?
- Several of your latest hiking "trails" have been the mall and a parking garage. Yes, it is August and August is a hot and buggy time to go hiking, but that does not mean that I want to go hike a parking garage. Please, save that for the senior exercise section.
Updated letter After some urging, I rewrote the letter and sent it to the circulation department of the paper. I doubt I will get any response. Here is the new text:
I am writing to explain my recent cancellation. Usually, I like to support my local newspaper, especially for local news. Several factors, however, persuaded me to cancel my trial subscription after only 3 weeks:
On August 12th, you ran the most blatantly racist letter to the editor that I have ever read outside of a history book. The author claimed that the “white liberals…handed this whole country on a platter to these Africans” and that “These miserable liberals have been aided and abetted by the Jewish network.” While you cannot stop your readers from having such repugnant, racist views, you do not need to print those views. Yes, there is a right to free speech in this country, but such a letter should be categorized as hate speech (which could have earned jail time in some European countries) and consigned to the garbage bin, not given space in the newspaper.
The conservative drivel that your readers espouse is sickening. And they have the gall to suggest that your editors are too liberal. Hah! Wake up Arkansas – this is the 21st century, and we are falling behind.
Several of your latest hiking "trails" have been the mall and a parking garage. Yes, it is August and August is a hot and buggy time to go hiking, but that does not mean that I want to go hike a parking garage. There are many hiking trails in Arkansas that can still be enjoyed even when it is hot and humid. Please, save walking the mall for the senior exercise section.
So, until I can get home delivery of the NY Times (no, they don't deliver around here), I will be sticking to online news sources and trying to find my local news elsewhere.
2 comments:
Glad to hear you sent them a bit of feedback. Sounds like they can use a steady stream of it.
You go, girl! I get the New York Times on my Kindle. Don't even have to step out the door…might be worth the investment.
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