Former Banner Reporter Cancels Tennessean Subscription
Posted on August 19, 2008 at 11:43 amFrom desk of political consultant Bill Fletcher:
I canceled my subscription to The Tennessean today. It wasn’t that hard (since I’m a former Banner reporter) but the sad truth is I have been a subscriber to the Tennessean, continuously, since April of 1980.
I spoke to the customer service representative, who was in Fort Worth, and told her my tale of woe and she commiserated with me and said she would tell her boss and that she was sorry. Nice lady.
So, after all these years, why did I cancel my subscription? Well, I had a letter shoved under the door of my downtown apartment from Tressie Minor, who purports to be the Owner/Operator of a company called Colossal Incorporated, 101 Hickory Park Lane, Antioch, TN 37013. Now, Tressie writes, “Effective Wednesday August 20, 2008 all papers will be labeled with your suite number or business name and will be available at the security / concierge desk for you to retrieve.”
Oh lovely. Now, can you possibly imagine the sight at apartment buildings and condos in downtown Nashville. Early morning. All those people staggering down to the lobby in their jammies, shorts, t-shirts, soiled robes and flipflops to get their paper. Spilling coffee in the elevator. Bumping into people they’ve been avoiding. Oh the humanity.
I love newspapers. Really. I do. I get The Tennessean (or I used to) and the New York Times delivered to me every day. Oddly enough, the NYT seems to be willing to ride the elevator up and deliver my paper right to my door each day. In my line of work, it is not unusual for me to sample the websites of 10 or 15 newspapers a day. And, when traveling, I may read another two or three papers depending on my location. But in the morning I love that first cup of coffee and the feel of a newspaper in my hands. I guess I always will.
I also love to read Beverly Keel who, in my view, is now the heart and soul of The Tennessean. And, I read Joe Biddle, who is still holding down his sports shift. They are former Banner scribes, like myself, who write with a passion and clarity that is often missing in the rest of the paper. In addition to their columns, you will notice that they break a lot of stories because people know they are fair dealers and great reporters who will get it right the first time. Not a small thing these days.
But, alas, those days are gone. I shall now have to content myself with the online version where I will meticulously ignore all of the cheap and gaudy banner advertising to read Beverly and Joe and scan the headlines.
So, Tressie, nice job. You managed to do what a whole string of editors and reporters couldn’t do. You severed my relationship with 1100 Broadway. I am sure the corporate behemoth’s won’t ever hear of my plight or of the sad end of this 28-year relationship. That’s the way it goes in post-newspaper America. Every day, somebody gets their heart broken. Today was my day.
UPDATE: Everything is cool now
A lovely woman just called me from The Tennessean. She was positively aghast that one of their delivery services had made the decision not to continue delivery to the door of downtown apartments and condos.
She was apologetic, gracious and reassuring. She said they would continue to cut down trees, make newspapers and deliver them right to my door.
I thanked her, reinstated my subscription and alerted the authorities. I’m glad I won’t have to go searching the internet for Doonesbury, Get Fuzzy, Zits and Arlo and Janis.
As I stated in my earlier missive, this morning I canceled my Tennessean subscription after 28 continuous years of being a subscriber. Now, we’re back together. I marvel at the power of the Internet. One lone voice raised in the blogosphere and the powers that be were driven to meet and make the tough decisions. Freedom preserved. Privacy protected.
I think the time apart did us some good. I needed my space. Thank God that I didn’t develop a relationship with another paper during this rocky period. I had already invested in some nice silk pajamas with donkeys on them but I might still be able to put those to good use.
In time, our wounds will heal. As Hemingway said, “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are stronger at the broken places.”
Comments
5 Responses to “Former Banner Reporter Cancels Tennessean Subscription”
Note to Bill: Your morning paper is already in your home. It’s on your computer.
In fact, the Tennessean just launched a version that’s laid out exactly like the paper, but online. It came jsut as they cut service to several counties.
Colossal Incorporated is part of the colossal industrial distribution industry that is choking the life blood out of the newspapers as we know it like a nasty case of kudzoo.
Newspapers now find themselves more in the trucking business, the ink business, the paper business, the printing press business, the delivery man business, the fuel business and every business BUT writing good stories… all so you can have a copy in your hand around 6am.
All that colossal crap is going away so you can get what the newspaper business is really about: information. Don’t fret the site of people wandering all over the building like zombies looking for their paper. It won’t happen. They’ll do what the rest of us have been doing for years. They’ll slip on a pair of comfy slippers, pour their coffee and read the latest from every newspaper on the planet… right on their computer.
The internet delivery of the paper is a Tree Killer.
True dat.
But where is the romance? The smell of the paper? The pleasant sound as you turn the pages? The freedom to take it down to Provence and enjoy a bagle?
I spend enough time with my computer.
I am three months into my second withdrawal. Eighteen months ago I cancelled the daily Tennessean after being a continuous subscriber since 1972. Doing without the crossword puzzles on Sunday would have been too, too much.
However, after six months I slid backward and re-upped the dailies. But, I am resolute this time.
Sunday only…forever.
One voice can make a difference.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Will miracles never cease?
Long live the daily printed word.
Ben Franklin would be proud!
You go Godfletcher!