Grover is disappointed.
For the past 10 years, Grover, my Airedale Terrier, has eagerly dashed out the front door in the morning to retrieve the newspaper. He began this daily routine when we lived in Southern Illinois and has continued his morning trek in Durango, where we moved three years ago and the Herald is delivered three days a week.
Grover has especially enjoyed this routine on Sundays, when he comes into the house and we sit down for his dog treat and my cup of Ethiopian coffee.
But those days are now over. The Herald has announced it will no longer employ my newspaper carrier and will instead have the U.S. Postal Service distribute papers with the afternoon mail. I’m hard-pressed to think whether Grover or I will be more disappointed.
It’s unfortunate the Herald simply announced this change earlier this month, rather than letting readers know what it was considering and asking for our opinion. I’ve been a journalist for newspapers, including the Christian Science Monitor, and have taught journalism at U.S., British, and Chinese universities for some 50 years. I’m well aware of the financial and readership issues the media face. But is firing newspaper carriers and eliminating morning delivery – without asking readers for input – really the answer?
As I said, Grover and I are very disappointed. And I’ve decided to do something I’ve never done in my 70-plus years of life. I’ve canceled my Durango Herald subscription.
William A. Babcock
Durango