Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/81077
6A Daily News – Friday, August 31, 2012 Opinion Charging for what once was free DAILYNEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 I received an email this week from a reader outside our coverage area asking why obituaries are no longer available on redbluffdai- lynews.com without a subscrip- tion. offer was that it was a decision made at the corporate level and I was sorry for the inconvenience. When somebody is upset about a change and your answer isn't "we'll change it back right away," the next step is a tirade — at least in the newspapering business. This reader chose to point out The most honest answer I could newspapers receive a reduced rate from the United States Postal Ser- vice due to the fact they provide a public service. He then said he would be writing Congress, implying he would see to it that was changed. A bit of a departure from the original discussion, but I see his point. Newspapers do provide a public service, for which they charge a small fraction of what providing that service costs. The remainder is made up by paid advertising. As paid advertising has declined substantially over the years, the cost of providing that public service has mostly been made up through staff cuts of near- ly 50 percent, years of pay freezes and benefit reductions and elimi- nation. Most newspapers, at least smaller ones, are as lean as they can be without ceasing publication in print. Plenty have gone under in the last decade, large and small. But let's get back to this read- er's complaint and his expectation. I disagree with the decision to make obituaries available only to subscribers — and I suspect I'm not alone in the company. My position is somewhat based in the public service argument the reader made, but more so in the fact fam- ilies pay to have obituaries pub- lished. stand firmly behind charging for online con- tent. My newsroom has a budget for collecting, writing and presenting the news and those who value it should be will- ing to pony up. Would a reader When it comes to news, I can models for online. It may decide to abandon paid online subscriptions altogeth- er, if the increase in traf- fic and ad sales justify the loss of subscription revenue. expect to walk into Raley's, fill his cart with groceries and then refuse to pay for them? In this case it's more My publisher remembers the days when obituaries were pub- lished free, although funeral homes charged families for sub- mitting them. Most newspapers then had style guidelines for obitu- aries to ensure all obits were treat- ed uniformly, and families railed against those restrictions. The result was most daily newspapers decided to charge families or funeral homes by the inch for whatever they wanted to write about the deceased, and as many days as they wanted to publish. complex. Obituaries cost us nothing. The cost of placing them balances the staff time and page space they take up, more or less. Chip Thompson 545 Diamond Ave. tomer walked into the Daily News and wanted a copy of that day's edition but only wanted to check the obituaries, that customer would still pay the cover price. Nobody has figured out the Then again, if a cus- business model for online newspa- pers. Most still offer content free of charge. Many, though, are ques- tioning giving away a valuable commodity. years, tell us how we can continue to provide the information you demand and still cover our costs for doing so. If you know the secret, I know some executives who would love to hear it. email at — converting an audi- ence and generation weaned on free access to information to a paid model that supports those who gather the information. For the record, most other online pursuits are in the same predicament. Instead of griping about no longer getting something free just because you did for This is no small feat Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 or by Digital First Media is experi- menting with different business editor@redbluffdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @EditorChip. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Ceanothus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893- 8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Fein- stein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Mont- gomery St., Suite 240, San Francis- co, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Kick starting the council Commentary According to the DN, there are very few res- idents actively pursuing a position on the Red Bluff City Council. On the one hand it is a thankless job and subject to embarrassing criti- cism in chambers when the audience is allowed to vent its spleen. On the other, a sitting mem- ber gets certain perks, not the least of which is health insurance. When the Honorable R. Frey was on said council, his prolonged stay was prompted by access to a health insurance pack- age as much as it was by "giving something back to the community," that shopworn phrase adopted by many at the public trough. Howev- er, we applaud the exodus of long seated mem- bers in favor of some new people, with positive agendas, who might be more inclined, for example, to approve shelters for the homeless. *** move down to the quiz and jokes, but don't you feel sorry for the cashiered Melky Cabrera fol- lowers? One day he is on top of the heap and his fans, dressed all in white and dubbed "The Melkmen" are demonstrating in the stands and getting their 15 minutes of fame. Then their hero gets a 50-game suspension and they decide to fold their uniforms and steal away. The group, consisting of 7 or 8 fellows, even conscripted women into their entourage and dubbed them the "Melk Maids." Perhaps they will merely remain on the sidelines until Melky is re-instated in time for the playoffs. If not, the uniforms will probably wind up at Goodwill. And speaking of this lovely sport, Giant's ace pitcher, Madison Bumgarner, walked in two runs last Saturday and even walked the opposing pitcher. This you don't do in the big leagues. I wonder what his mates said when he finally hit the showers. "Never mind, kid, it's just a game." I think not. *** If you don't exist for baseball, you might but it has occurred to me that the old Abbot and Costello routine of "Who's on first" fame might be updated because of the San Diego Padres 1st baseman by the name of Yonder Alonso. Diego? low Yonder. Costello: Who's playing 1st base for San Abbot:. No, Who's not on 1st. It's that fel- Costello: Where? Abbot:. Like I said, he's Yonder, on 1st base. This column is not entirely about baseball, Yonder. Costello: Where? I don't see him. Abbot: Maybe he's in the dugout. be yonder, but where exactly. I liked to get a photo of him. Abbot: Sure. You can get a photo with him. He's Yon- der. Costello: I know he may ed): Now just a minute. Who's on first Abbot: Nope, the fellow on 1st base is Yonder. Costello: He can't be on 1st base if he's yonder, can he? Costello (now exasperat- Murray Clyde takes me for a walk early each morning. He is a discerning fellow and often stops and sniffs the air or stares at some object far in the distance. We wait patiently for his reconnoitering because 1) I should indulge him, and 2) he outweighs me and won't move until he is satisfied we're not in danger. But I just learned a startling fact: Dogs can see move- ment up to 985 yards away, which is more than nine American football fields. I mentioned this to him and he responded, "That's on a clear day, of course...otherwise It would be 8 football fields, tops." Good dog. *** Saturday morning, bright and early, volun- teers swept downtown streets free of debris, trimmed planters and did their best to improve the ambiance of our historic city. This endeav- or is remindful of the day several years ago when Orville Jacob's Day was proclaimed by the City Council. It was designated to be an annual clean up day much the same as we recently witnessed. I suppose it matters little under whose auspices such work is carried out, but developer O. Jacobs thought of it first. *** Abbot: Certainly. And so forth *** The death of astronaut Neil Armstrong reminds us of what an astounding fete it was for a man walk on the moon. We stare at the moon, with our intellect intact, and have little knowledge of what it took to access our nearest neighbor in space. My father died 5 years before the fete was accomplished, and could have had no idea that this would be accom- plished. And now we have landed another exploratory vehicle on Mars. Could this be pre- cursor to a man on Mars? It truly boggles the mind. And yet father did say "Every- thing is possible to those that have faith." He did not, how- ever, define "faith." *** Robert Minch I Say measure 500,000. Wilbur Scoville, a pharma- cist, invented the scale in 1912. I also asked where the gold in the U.S. is stored. It is stored in San Francisco, Denver, Fort Knox, Philadel- phia, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York...and, of all places, West Point. This week's quiz: Explain the various colors of belts in Judo. Ben Gunn was a pirate marooned on Treasure Island in the book by Robert Lewis Stevenson. What was the first thing he wanted when he saw Jim Hawkins? Was it a kiss? *** he wanted a divorce. His wife was stunned. "But John," she pleaded, "why would you want to divorce me after all we've been through together? Remember how, when we first met, you caught malaria and I nursed you back to health? And when you were accused of rob- bery, I stood by you? And then you lost $40,000 on the horses? And when the fire destroyed your office, I comforted you? How could you leave me after all we've been through together?" "That's the problem, Sue. Face it, you're just After 35 years of marriage, a husband said bad luck." Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine and author of the "The Knocking Pen." He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Last week's quiz went unanswered by all. Perhaps it was the fire. I asked how hot peppers are measured for hotness. They are measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Bell peppers score zero, Jalapenos rate 3,000 to 6,000 and Habnero peppers