Information-less

I need a newspaper. And finding one that suits me isn't easy these days.

In September, after 19 years as a home subscriber to the Duluth News Tribune, I ended the relationship. Initially, it was because of my layoff as the newspaper's managing editor. I could no longer afford it. And I couldn't bring the paper into my house without getting angry. My husband urged me to suspend my subscription, at least for awhile. In fact, he offered to cancel it for me.

Time passed. I scanned the DNT whenever my neighbors left theirs on my front porch or when I visited my mother-in-law. I don't like the new format. I don't like the scaled back content. No offense to former colleagues, but there isn't much in the way of news in there since they shrunk the paper and its news-gatherering staff.

I signed up for the Washington Post and Star Tribune online. The former is great for following what's happening in Congress and big national stories. While I do find more news about Minnesota in the Strib, I also find that block of fluff and oddball contests that dominates the top left of their Web page annoying. I've considered The New York Times, but now that I'm no longer in the business, their self-aggrandizing ads about winning Pulitzers seem pretentious.

So far, this age of 24/7 newspapers is less than satisfying.