Finally Got A Newspaper

Sometimes the question is asked, how can we arrest the decline of newspapers?

My Sacramento Bee newspaper subscription ran out in March, and I was shocked at the doubling of rates, so I hesitated renewing. In the middle of May, I renewed my subscription, but for weekend delivery only, to moderate the cost.

And the paper was never delivered. Not once. Every weekend, when delivery inevitably failed, I either called their complaint line and left a voicemail, or sent an E-Mail. The Bee offers a redelivery option, and I opted for it, but since delivery or redelivery never happened, I eventually opted instead for them to credit my account. After awhile, I forgot about the subscription, and the account balance dwindled.

Today, September 30, 2018, and once again faced with no delivery, I sent a complaining E-Mail asking for them to credit my account. To my vast surprise, they actually redelivered the paper. For a newspaper subscription obtained in May, I finally received my first newspaper!

Saving newspapers is not a hopeless task, but first there has to be a willingness for newspapers to engage with the task. Nevertheless, there are rumors the Sacramento Bee will cease with a paper option altogether in a year or two. Of course, no one will ask the subscribers about their opinions about the matter.