A couple days ago I blogged about the sad demise of me getting the Dallas Morning News. I'd pre-paid for 3 months. After that 3 months was up, the paper kept coming. I got no bills. And then delivery was stopped. I called to say I'd gotten no paper that morning, which is when I was told it'd been stopped. I was told I could re-start the paper, which would now cost $30.00 a month.I said send me a bill for what I owe and keep delivery stopped.
I have not yet received a bill, but I have received a "special offer" from the Dallas Morning News. Now, keep in mind the reason I dumped that paper, in addition to the incompetence, was the price increase.
But in this "special offer" it says I can get the paper 7 days a week for $15.75 a month. Which, I believe, pretty much matches what I thought I remembered being told by the guy who originally talked me into subscribing.
So, why did the Dallas Morning News customer service guy pretty much kiss off a subscriber with that $30 a month deal, while they are sending out "special offers" for $15.75?
It's a big mystery why the newspaper business is in rapid decline.
And on that rapid decline line of thought, fresh newspaper weirdness this morning. I opened my front door and what do I find? A Fort Worth Star-Telegram! With a "special offer!"
The Star-Telegram's "special offer" was not as special as the Dallas paper's. I don't remember what it was now.
I had not read the Star-Telegram since I fired them. The paper seems to have shrunk some more. One example was the pathetic editorial pages. The editorial section is 2 pages. 50% of those 2 pages is now taken up by the weather! 12.5% is taken up by editorial cartoons. The paper was so thin it felt flimsy.
And in the Star-Telegram there was no mention made, that I saw, of last night's pre-election event at the Botanic Garden's Moncrief Room. Named, according to one of my sources, after one of the "good" Moncriefs, not the current corrupt mayor, who, incidentally deigned to briefly appear at this event, causing giggles and snickers when he said he could not stay long.
I was appalled today to go pick up my usual double copy of the DMN and see another price increase. In a world where less and less people want to read printed news, I would think they would be trying to keep customers, not drive them away with radical price jumps!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, at $3 per issue, I am no longer going to bother buying the paper and will instead look at the store ads and news online. I'll find coupons online. I'll get my TV listings from the listings from my satellite provider!
Basically, this ridiculous 100% price increase over the past 1-2 years has made me notice that I have absolutely no real need for the paper!
They've lost a loyal buyer. I can only imagine there are many more people out there like me who will be jumping off the wagon. With moves like this, it won't be long before Dallas is like Seattle, a city without a print newspaper!!!