In these days of real-time electronic communication, the role of the daily newspaper has nearly vanished. I fondly remember the excitement of receiving the Post Gazette every morning and the Sun Telegraph in the evening (I talked my parents into subscribing to the Tele because they carried “The Lone Ranger” comic strip). In addition, my father usually picked up a Pittsburgh Press and read it on the train on the way home from work. The Digital Information Age changed all that, and many newspapers ceased publication. When the Post Gazette made the partial (currently hard copies are delivered on Thursday and Sunday) transition to an online service, I maintained my subscription and learned to read it online the other five days of the week. I reflected on this last Thursday as I enjoyed reading a hard copy of the Post-Gazette while I enjoyed my breakfast. Why was this a special treat for me? Why do I prefer to not accept the fact that this is 2025 and there are modern ways to access the news? I really don’t know, so I decided to review my reading of this specific paper and to record which articles caught my attention, seeking an explanation.
I always begin with the front page, frequently pondering the decisions of the editors when they decide which stories are most relevant. On this day the front page was dominated by the headline TARIFF TENSIONS RISE and a photograph of a customer checking out a bag of groceries at the Pennsylvania Macaroni store in the Strip. This is a subject that interests me, so I read the full article. It was well written; I still don’t know the relevance of the front-page photograph. It was accompanied by an article reporting that the Administration has temporarily suspended the tariffs on imports of automobile components in response to complaints from US automakers; it I read completely. A third front page article dealt with the decision of the acting Pittsburgh Police Chief to resign. I skimmed it; the PG is not happy with the current Mayor and has no difficulty emphasizing articles critical of him. I also read the fourth front page article which reported that Governor Shapiro is recruiting federal workers who have fallen victim to the Muskovites.
Page two had two articles on winter storms, which I ignored. I did make a mandatory stop at “The Almanac”. On this day in history, March 6, President Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise in 1820, the Alamo fell in 1836, and the Supreme Court issued the Dred Scott Decision in 1857, all on this date. That is an impressive trifecta. I usually skip through the rest of the first section to the editorial pages, skimming the headlines in case there is anything that interests me – nothing today. Today’s editorial is critical of Mayor Gainey, a common recent theme for this paper. The cartoon depicts Trump/Vance/Zelinskyy as the Three Stooges – an insult to Zelinskyy. The page features a column by David Mills discussing the schism in our society regarding Ukraine. I never pass up his columns; he is easily the most rational, articulate writer the paper has. The other page had three columns by outside columnists – one on immigration, one on the Muskovite attack on FEMA, and one on the agony of euthanasia for a dying pet. I usually read all these op-eds, if only to understand the perspective of someone with whom I disagree.
The PG Local section has four pages of local news, three of obituaries, and one dedicated to weather. The “local” news included Senator Fetterman protesting the behavior of his fellow Democrats during the President’s address to Congress, Congresswoman Summer Lee defending it, and the possible sale of federal buildings in Pittsburgh. I always pore through the death notices (one of my friends calls this section the Irish Sports Page) and am pleased when I don’t encounter anyone whom I know. I religiously check the previous day’s average temperature and precipitation and see where we stand versus “normal” values.
Despite being a lifelong sports fan, I find very little of interest in the PG Sports section – far too much focus on opinion and speculation on hypothetical questions and far too little news. Once again we are dwelling on a Steeler Mock Draft – no criticism of Ray Fittipaldo, but are his speculations “news”? I fondly remember the day when newspapers published objective reports of actual games and featured the box scores. The PG does do a good job of reporting on local high school sports; unfortunately they are of no interest to me. As for the columnists, they are more interested in making news than reporting on it – I sorely miss Chet Smith and Harry Keck and Al Abrams.
The fourth section, PG Business, is really sparse – two pages of irrelevant news, four of want ads and public notices, one page of comics, and the “Puzzles, Horoscopes, and Bridge” page. I gave up on the PG comics when they dropped “Big Nate”, although I do still check out “Prince Valiant” and “Shylock Fox” in the Sunday edition. Next comes PG Food, which appears to be well done, although it is of no interest to me. The only thing I ever read in the “Weekend Magazine” is the occasional article by Jeremy Reynolds dealing with the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Is my subscription worth $442 a year ($1.21 per day)? It is certainly doesn’t approach the value of my nickel (sixty-five cents in 2025 dollars) investment for a daily paper in 1950. In the “good old days” advertisements covered the cost of publishing the paper and publishers relied on quality reporting to attract customers, which then attracted advertisers. The advertising revenue has gone to television, leaving the publishers no alternative but to lower quality. No wonder they are going out of business. It appears that my preference for the old-fashioned daily paper is primarily nostalgic.