Earlier this week Jimmy Guterman blogged about his decision to cancel his subscription to the print edition of The New York Times. He still loves the paper, both from a content standpoint as well as “the serendipity of walking through a print section”, but one day he came to the realization he was reading more of the Times online. “For all the pleasure of holding and print, the Times on paper is just too late. In 2008, today's paper is yesterday's news.” He goes on to lament the fact that the print version probably can’t survive if he and other adoring readers cancel their subscriptions, but that isn’t enough to change his mind.

I can sympathize with Jimmy’s point—I’m a news junkie and a big fan of the printed word—but a few years back I too realized that I was reading most of my news online while the print newspaper went straight to the recycling bin. However, while environmental concerns and the practicality of online news contributed to my decision to stop subscribing to the local paper, I have to admit that my primary motivation was an ever-increasing level of annoyance with the teenage subscription-sales reps that the Denver Newspaper Agency continually sends door-to-door through my neighborhood. Especially in the warmer months, you can find these kids trolling through the neighborhood at least once a week, and they’ll knock on your door whether or not you’re already a subscriber. Even more annoying is the fact that the Denver Newspaper Agency promises to award small “scholarships” to the kids that sell enough subscriptions, so they always deliver emotional pleas about how my subscription could help them get through college. I like to point out that it’s not a scholarship unless it’s awarded for scholastic merit or financial need and that they’d be better off getting a regular job, but the message doesn’t seem to resonate.

I eventually hung a No Soliciting sign near the front door in response to their repeated visits, but it’s had little to no effect. I don't know if they can’t read or don’t care, but either way I’m not going to reward them with my business. I’ll continue to read the local papers as well as the Times and other news sources online, but at this point I don’t really care if print newspapers go the way of the dinosaur.