Okay, so I gotta talk about the New York Times. For years, seriously, years, I was subscribed. Used to grab the paper sometimes, but mostly read it online or on the app. It felt like the responsible thing, you know? Supporting journalism, reading what many called the ‘paper of record’. I actually felt pretty good about it for a long time.
But then, gradually, things started feeling… different. I can’t put my finger on one single article or one specific day. It was more like a slow creep. I’d read a piece, maybe about politics, maybe something international, maybe even tech stuff, and I’d just get this nagging feeling. Something wasn’t quite right with the way the story was told. I started noticing it more often.
I found myself reading an article and then immediately wanting to check other places, just to see if the story matched up. Sometimes it did, sometimes it really didn’t. I started seeing headlines that felt more like they were trying to get a click, get a reaction, rather than just tell you what happened. It began to wear on me.
The Stuff That Bothered Me
It wasn’t just one issue, it was a bunch of little things piling up:
- The Spin: It felt like stories often had a clear ‘angle’ right from the start. Like they knew the conclusion before they even laid out the facts. I just want the story, let me figure out how I feel about it.
- What Was Missing: Sometimes I’d read about an event I had some background knowledge on, and key details felt missing. Things that changed the context quite a bit. You had to go looking elsewhere to get the fuller picture.
- Opinion Slipping In: More and more, it felt like opinion pieces were bleeding into the news reports. Or the news was written with such a strong voice that it might as well have been an opinion piece.
- Paywall Pains: Honestly, the price kept going up too. And they make it kind of a hassle if you want to cancel. I started asking myself if the value was still there for me, especially with the other stuff bothering me.
So, I mulled it over for a while. Read less and less of it, felt more and more disconnected from it. Finally, I decided it was time. I went into my account settings online. Had to click through a few screens, answer some questions about why I was leaving. They didn’t make it super straightforward, but I stuck with it.
I clicked that final ‘confirm cancellation’ button. And that was that. Felt a bit weird, ending something I’d done for so long, but also like a bit of a relief.
Now, I try to get my news from a wider range of places. Some smaller outlets, some international ones, even just following specific journalists I trust directly. It takes more effort, for sure. You have to piece things together yourself a bit more. But honestly? I prefer it now. Feels like I’m getting a less filtered view, maybe. So yeah, title says it all. Just not a fan anymore. Moved on.
