When I get those silly ‘we-can-start-your-paper-tomorrow’ sales calls what they try to push is the weekly coupons or the Shopper. As if I care.

There is almost NO news left in the Star. I get their daily e-mail and try to check out articles regularly but rarely do I find an article worth while. Certainly I am not able to get ‘news’ about Tucson from the Star.

Instead of figuring out how to provide more news, more information each step they took provided less news, less information. It’s as if they think that somehow they are going to make up for that lack with format, or video, or a convoluted main web page, or I can’t think what.

I remember when all the news magazines went through a period (albeit over a period of years) of redesign. They all came out of that period looking (and almost ‘sounding’ alike). It’s like some consultants convinced them that the key to success was format alone. Content (news, research, reporting, intelligence, thoughtfulness, honesty) went along for the ride as a neglected step child.

I’m probably overly negative because I resent loosing a good local newspaper. The Star still managed to put out some outstanding special reports even within the last few years. Haven’t seen one recently, though.