Had to laugh at this ad in the AL yesterday (yes I buy the dead tree version on Sundays, the coupons pay for it, even though they had to hide the new $2 price in the bottom left hand corner instead of at the top, clever, very clever). I emailed Ellis and said, “Next time the art department needs to work on not having the fold across your forehead. It makes you look old.”
I actually kinda like that ad. It’ll take a lot more than that to make me start spending money on what the AL has to offer, though.
I like Ellis. He’s too balanced sometimes but I like him. By that I mean he works so hard to be balanced when he should really just say, “Wake up, they’re screwing you over good citizens of Sioux FAlls.”
Yeah, Ellis is fine. My problem is that this whole changeover, with an online paywall and higher newstand prices, isn’t resulting in more or better reporting. It’s all just window dressing, with daily focuses on the less essential features. I really don’t care to look at pictures of everybody’s favorite meal of the week, or the rah rah rah weekly business journal. As they expand that junk, the actual paper is consisting of more and more USA Today reprints.
I like the ad to, it should have been on the front page.
Scott – I guess I wasn’t expecting the paper to get any better, when layoff a bunch of people, move your copy desk to another state and furlough your best reporters it really isn’t a recipe for success.
Ellis is a good reporter. I wish there was freedom of the press and he could report the real story. It seems he wants to but he’s obviously restrained. I pick up a copy of the Argus once in awhile but will not subscribe. It’s to hard reading between the lines looking for the real story. It’s good for obituaries and horoscopes.
I got a couple of tidbits leaked to me today;
2) The Chamber is not one bit to happy about Kermit running for office, and they seem to be clamoring to find some poor schmuck to run against him.
It takes 4 days of papers to line the Chihauhau’s potty box for 2 days. (Maybe I should have just gotten a bird?)
Years ago I use to buy the AL for the crossword puzzle, but there are too many great puzzles online for free.
If they could really tell the news, I would not have to go thru all these blogs to pick up what is really happening. I thank the bloggers like you and Jennifer for keeping me informed.
PL – The shopping news is free, and you can call and ask for additional copies, just give K. Lesnar a call, he will hook yah up, he might ask you your bra size, but it is a small price to pay for FREE newsprint.
Hasn’t the Sunday edition been $2.00 for some time now?
Nope, just changed.
I’m not real happy with the price increase. From $20.00 and some change per month to $22.00 for EZ Pay, and $24.00 for a printed bill. This is for full access. However, I don’t want full access—-I don’t have a Tablet or a Smartphone. I don’t want the paper delivered to my email. I just want a plain old fashioned paper delivered to my door. Who in heck needs 24/7 access to breaking news. I do more on the computer than sit here waiting for news updates. I am seriously thinking about not subscribing to the Argus and getting the Mitchell paper. The Argus seems to be getting thinner every week, I also am not interested in the new sections they are going to be adding. I don’t find enough coupons in the paper for the things that I use. I can look at the ads that I am apt to use online. Another stupid change that I have noticed in the Sunday paper is that they now have the anniversary, engagement, and wedding pictures all scrambled together instead of their own little section. Some of the pictures are colored and they are really crappy, they look fuzzy.
Joan – You should get the Rapid City Journal, great paper and they give tons of state news.
I am still laughing about your ‘fuzzy’ pictures. They should have remained black and white. I have worked in printing and design for a very long time. It is called ‘offset’ it looks bad. Wonder what they charge for that 🙁
I personally like when the bride and groom have four eyes.
On the cover of today’s Life section, is an article from the Los Angeles Times. Also, every article in the Life section today was a wire story. Where’s the expanded “local” coverage?
On furlough.
Like PrairieLady’s comment. Humorous but also true. Price is a factor for AL. When I took it, I was surprised they didn’t offer a discount for long term subscriptions. Lewis, shopping news prints a topo map scale I have copyrighted. It sells at outdoor stores like REI. Rapid City Journal is a good paper. Reminds me of the old Argus. They also have good news coverage and old fashioned democratic city government.
There is no investigative journalism here. It sounds like any company – even small companies – have all the news media in their pockets. Or people in this state simply can’t be jolted by “scary” news, that would be too much for them. Where I come from if the news isn’t “scary” it isn’t news. All I see is sappy crap that doesn’t do anything for me. I have always thought of journalists as people who like to rattle cages, shake things up, expose things. Nothing here is exposed.
The fourth estate has disappeared in the media.