New problem for print?

[DTEJD1997]

Hey all:

 

Here is something that just popped into my head today regarding print media, specifically newspapers & other periodicals NOT sent through the mail (Barrons, local papers, business journals).

 

These guys could be facing an industry catastrophe because they can't get their stuff delivered.

 

When I was a kid, I delivered papers.  I had friends that delivered papers. That was often a first job for people.  I don't think any teens deliver papers these days...

 

I've tried to get a subscription to Barron's both in Houston and Detroit.  Houston had TERRIBLE problems being delivered, but eventually kind of got it worked out.  That was maybe 3 years ago or so.

 

Fast forward to today.  I simply can't get Barron's delivered AT ALL in metro Detroit.

 

Perhaps this a problem for the industry as a whole.  There is nobody willing to deliver stuff.  Perhaps a delivery model is simply not feasible any more.  Nobody is willing to deliver a paper for $.50, even if they have a route of 100 people?

 

So maybe the days of paper delivery are over with.  Papers will have to be on the internet period.

[DCG]

When I subscribed to Barrons, it was always delivered by the post office.

[mbreject]

They use the post office for areas where they don't have paper boys, but you can still request for them to mail it if you're having trouble with delivery. That's why I did when I was having trouble with our paper man, who was definitely not a boy. He had to be at least 40 and was driving a pickup. It's hard for a kid to compete with that!

 

ETA: It's possible that your delivery guy is just collecting the fees without actually delivering the papers. Our delivery guy delivered both our daily newspaper and Barron's and he would often not deliver the latter, because he would leave before they were delivered. I'd always assumed he would drop by the office on his way home and just throw away whatever he didn't deliver.

[CorpRaider]

Nah.  Boomers gotta' get some money for their alpo.  Maybe its a detroit thing.  Do you guys have power and water?

[DTEJD1997]

Nah.  Boomers gotta' get some money for their alpo.  Maybe its a detroit thing.  Do you guys have power and water?

I am just outside of Detroit, and yes we have water & power.

 

MOST of Detroit has water & electricity...only most...

 

I know for a fact this is not a problem limited to Detroit.  I had terrible problems in Houston.

[Pelagic]

Don't worry, newspaper delivery will get crowdsourced - eventually. Uber is moving into the package delivery sector, no reason those same drivers couldn't pick up a limited paper route in their area too.

[fareastwarriors]

Nah.  Boomers gotta' get some money for their alpo.  Maybe its a detroit thing.  Do you guys have power and water?

I am just outside of Detroit, and yes we have water & power.

 

MOST of Detroit has water & electricity...only most...

 

I know for a fact this is not a problem limited to Detroit.  I had terrible problems in Houston.

 

I had problems with Barron's here outside of San Francisco. I got a subscription due to expiring credit card reward points and it came like 3 or 4 times before it stopped coming.

[boilermaker75]

After years of no problems with morning delivery of the WSJ, it stopped being delivered. After complaining for weeks, WSJ is now delivered to me via US mail. It comes the same day, just not in the morning. I just recently received an email from WSJ that starting May 31 I would start getting it again by early morning delivery. I'll see how that goes.

 

Like someone else mentioned, my first job was delivering newspapers. Great learning experience, especially trying to collect from customers! Every customer had a ticket, which I had a duplicate of, and I would punch the weeks for which I collected on my ticket, and theirs. Amazing how many people would argue they had paid when their tickets weren't punched. I loved using that coin changer I wore around my waist when I went collecting.

[TorontoRaptorsFan]

I don't understand why you wouldn't get the digital version of Barrons/WSJ on your iPhone/iPad.

 

I subscribe to the WSJ digitally and it's constantly being updated with breaking news etc. And a lot of the articles are archived if you need to access later. If you're really worried you could always use Instapaper for another means of archiving articles.

 

 

[boilermaker75]

I don't understand why you wouldn't get the digital version of Barrons/WSJ on your iPhone/iPad.

 

I subscribe to the WSJ digitally and it's constantly being updated with breaking news etc. And a lot of the articles are archived if you need to access later. If you're really worried you could always use Instapaper for another means of archiving articles.

 

I get both. Since I am an educator I get the print and digital as a package deal for $99 a year.

[oddballstocks]

After years of no problems with morning delivery of the WSJ, it stopped being delivered. After complaining for weeks, WSJ is now delivered to me via US mail. It comes the same day, just not in the morning. I just recently received an email from WSJ that starting May 31 I would start getting it again by early morning delivery. I'll see how that goes.

 

Like someone else mentioned, my first job was delivering newspapers. Great learning experience, especially trying to collect from customers! Every customer had a ticket, which I had a duplicate of, and I would punch the weeks for which I collected on my ticket, and theirs. Amazing how many people would argue they had paid when their tickets weren't punched. I loved using that coin changer I wore around my waist when I went collecting.

 

I subscribed to the WSJ for years but eventually grew frustrated at the horrible delivery and cancelled.  I would randomly miss a few days and then the paper carrier would deliver them all at once.  There were multiple occasions that my delivery would stop for a week or more then suddenly start back up.  It was extremely inconsistent.  Then I loved the audacity of the newspaper person who'd deliver this giant card asking for a big Christmas tip.  The WSJ at first would credit me with missed papers, then they just gave up, and so did I.

[DTEJD1997]

I don't understand why you wouldn't get the digital version of Barrons/WSJ on your iPhone/iPad.

 

I subscribe to the WSJ digitally and it's constantly being updated with breaking news etc. And a lot of the articles are archived if you need to access later. If you're really worried you could always use Instapaper for another means of archiving articles.

I do have digital access, and I do use it.

 

HOWEVER, I much prefer the print edition.

 

With the print edition, I find myself reading more articles, and having a better appreciation for what is going on.

 

Digital is GREAT for something with a narrow focus.  I find print to be much better for a broad outlook/understanding.

[DCG]

Barrons won't let you only get the digital edition, which is insane, and why I cancelled my subscription. They're just looking to beef up their print subscriber numbers to sell ads, but it's annoying as well. Barrons wouldn't get delivered until Monday, so I'd read it on my iPad, and then throw the print version directly in the recycling bin every week.

 

 

With WSJ, I have the app on an old iPad that, for whatever reason, after I did a trial subscription over 5 years ago, has to this day never locked out the content. So I've had a free WSJ subscription on the iPad for the last 5+ years.