I love your columns, Connie, both in the Plain Dealer and on the internet. I am so glad that it was strictly a rumor, that the Plain Dealer would only be on the internet and not in print. The very first thing that I do in the morning is grab the paper. I do allow my husband to read the sports section, but,otherwise, I read every other section. I like to do the puzzles, etc. The only one that I can't figure out is the Saduko. By the way, I do like to watch football, basketball, wrestling (highschool, and college, but not professional). I only wish the paper was thicker, with more information, but I do notice out of state newspaper don't necessarily have any more to offer. When we are out of town, I do, have to read the newspaper. THE PLAIN DEALER IS THE VERY BEST!!!!!!!!!!

Ma'am;...Every town needs a news paper...Certainly a town like Cleveland with so many strip clubs and truck stops needs some paper to line its cages...But while we need a hard copy, we also need to know what is happening at a local level...And no matter how corporate ownership is presented, I think it is clear that local coverage has suffered...And it is hard to imagine any community having worse service than no service, which is where news for profit is leading... I hope all those people who have attacked the liberal press into becoming a conservative bootlick realize now that the liberals don't have to buy their conservative nonsense... Their money is as good as anyone else's, and they are as entitled to the truth as any other group, whether it be offensive, or painful being beside the point...But speaking as a liberal, though not as a democrat, I think that the newspapers, and media generally have tilted the truth under pressure, and so they have not served the people, and deserve to scramble for business... The cure is simple... The news should not be for profit...It should serve a community as a public owned utility... And still, if it does not sell it should go out of business....If a community is a bunch of conservatives, or a bunch of weirdos, or a bunch banannas, they should have the news that serves their needs and desires.... If it leaves their kids blind and ignorant, as the actions of school boards often do, then that is the curse of majority rule...But majority rule does show in the market place as well, where people vote with their wallets... People need news they can use...If it is not truth, it is not communication, and it is useless...So again, community ownership, as non profits, with some objective standard of fairness, but ultimately depending upon the support of the community -will give people the best news for their money...Thanks...Sweeney

It is very sad to see many newspapers going under...My first paid jobwas to the Pittsburgh Sunday Newspaper in my small hometown where I delivered to the entire town. My best Sundays were when I had "remainders" or left over papers. I took those home, tore off the masthead for my refund and then kept the rest of the paper to read all week. I did not have many books growing up, except for a huge old dictionary that I read from cover to cover word by word. Reading the columns in the Sunday News gave me practice with my vocabulary. I grew up able to converse with Harvard grads and be aware of what went on lutside my little hometown.
Today, I rarely see a young person reading a local paper.. Yes they buy a USA TODAY but throw away the Business section and the Front News section. They want the sports section and the LIFE section with the latest gossip on movie and TV stars. How sad that they are losing focus on news that really matters. An amazing number of youth today can't name the Vice-president of the United States. And that is coupled WITH the fact that they rely on blurbs on-line to give them news.
One of the factors in many newspaper's demise is politically slanted news reporting. Many Radio pundits posit the lie that media is biased against Conservatives but the fact is that most newspapers are owned by rich conservatives who control content. Intelligent readers have discerned this sift to biased reporting and are slowly drifting away and dropping subscriptions and not buying a copy from newstands as a result. They let their personal bias and philosophy control their decisions and it has cost them readers. I don't see newspapers making a comeback. That is sad for america.