Resolved: Kansas City Mail-In Democracy Doesn't Need Newspapers

On the topic of fading Democratic institutions and the illusion of individual choice. . .

Plague was far more effective than newsprint in replacing Prez Trump with some other old, white dude pretending to be in charge.

The importance of "journalism" has always been overstated and is now mostly used to solicit donations to support partisan rags disguised as news outlets. 

Reality check . . . 

It turns out that people would rather stalk frenemies and argue with strangers via spyware apps on their phone than read anything thoughtful. The impact of "local reporting" isn't something that REALLY influences policy of the time spent between buffet lines for the plebs.

In Kansas City the biggest daily newspaper no longer sets the agenda and local news is mostly determined by aptly timed press releases and longtime political power players.

Here's one of many example of schizophrenic dead tree media opinion that doesn't really matter to anybody who matters . . .

Yes, hold rogue cops liable but hold others like these Kansas City officers in esteem

We hear a lot today about cops acting badly, as we should. Not so much when they act heroically, which they do - and on a fairly regular basis. Law enforcement officers really do run in when the rest of us are running out.

Meanwhile, what passes for “progress” in Kansas City and across the nation is settled by way of mail-in ballot without much discussion, debate, analysis in any other forum but rigged social media and cable news. What follows is a quick collection of updates on the print industry that needs stimmy just as much as all of the other broke-ass plebs.

Check-it . . .

Opinion | Can Journalism Wean Itself Off the Cheap Clicks of Bad Crime Coverage?

A right to be forgotten is enshrined in European law. Thanks to the First Amendment, the right to be forgotten is a voluntary thing in America. The rules vary, but all of the right-to-be-forgotten newspapers allow individuals named in archived stories to petition the publication to delete their names from the pieces.

The pandemic devastated newsrooms. Now they're seeking help from Congress. - Poynter

After a devastating pandemic that shuttered newspapers and eliminated thousands of jobs, journalism advocates say they are optimistic that Congress will finally step in to support the struggling industry. At least two major bills to help journalism have been reintroduced, and more are on the way.

Support the Local Journalism Sustainability Act

If you're reading this sentence, it's probably because you value local news. So you may be surprised to hear that local news is collapsing around the country. The number of journalists has dropped 60% since 2000, and thousands of communities have either no newspaper or ghost newspapers that provide barely any local coverage.

Fears for future of American journalism as hedge funds flex power

As the pandemic recedes in the United States, few businesses may emerge so transformed as local and regional newspapers. More than 70 local newsrooms have closed over the past 15 months, with hundreds of media jobs lost, as the already difficult financial conditions in the industry intensified during the crisis.

You decide . . .