Should you subscribe to your own publication?

LA Times circ chief begs staff to subscribe ...

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2007/03/guess_who_doesnt_get_the.php

 

I've never subscribed to my own paper in my life.

As long as I get paid to stick around for first runs after deadline, I never will.

 

This always drives me absolutely insane. At every place I work, it was always clear that there were people who never touched the paper. How can we expect others to? Most people reveal themselves accidentally - perhaps it becomes clear they didn't even look at the A1 Sunday centerpiece. But people will also occasionally brag out loud or make jokes about it.

And, yes, our dearly departed DyePack would be interested to know, often those bragging about not reading the product are designers.

I think part of it's a byproduct of society's rampant narcissism. People want to write and report and put their name out there, but they have no interest in the work others are doing, even at their own shop. It's all about them.

I try to make it a point to let people know I've read pieces I like. If a preps guy breaks a story on C7, I'll ask how he did the reporting or compliment him/her on it. If the night reporter clearly had a long night because of a fatal or a robbery, I'll let that person know that somebody is paying attention.

Sometimes it's even clear that high-level editors - or even direct supervisors - don't read the paper. And what ends up happening is people get promotions for the wrong reason - completely political reasons.

 

The same tactic was used at our under 20K paper a couple of years ago. The response of many at the paper was the same:

You want me to pay for a paper I already get for free at work, but you don't want to increase my salary?

So I guess the question begs: If I get a subscription, will I get a raise, too?

 

I think the guy is right (though the memo is classless). You should subscribe to your own paper. The paper should give employees a discount, however.

You should know who is delivering the paper. If it is there every morning. Wet, wrinkled, whatever.

 

But Pringle's point is well taken.

I said I didn't subscribe. But I damn sure read it.

 

We get it for free. I guess we're a throwback.

 

Free delivery?

 

Can we separate the two issues?

A) We should read the paper every day.

I'm fine with that. If you don't know what's going on at your paper, you should because you develop entirely too much of a disconnect. I was guilty of that, though I tried to get much better about it (and I did) after I stupidly bragged about not reading it.

B) Employees should subscribe.

Unless it's a free subscription, I'm not paying good money (even at half-price rates) for a subscription to a newspaper where I work. Not unless something is being done to rectify low salaries and constantly jumping insurance premiums.

The two issues should be treated separately.

 

the last three papers I worked for, I didn't live in the circulation area to get the paper

 

Same here for my last one. Paper was mailed to me daily.

 

We don't get it for free. I don't even think we get a discount...

I read our sports section every day... online... I don't need the clutter of the paper and I'm past the point of saving my clips...

Plus, I live in the burbs and we get an early edition about 50 percent of the time, which pisses me off...