Why?
I no longer wished to subsidize the extreme right-wing political agenda being promoted by that rag.
Historically, the Dispatch has leaned right politically. I've known that since I moved to Columbus in 1961. And it's understandable, given the demographics of the population of central Ohio.
Until recently, however, there was at least a semblance of balance in its editorial content, and one could draw conclusions based on a range of presented opinions.
That is no longer the case.
After a long, unscientific examination of the paper's editorial content since 2008, I have concluded that 80% (or more) of the cartoons and op-ed pieces present bald-faced propaganda of the extreme rignt-wing of the Republican party. The most partisan pieces appear in the editions with high readership (weekends and Mondays). Dissenting opinions are primarily relegated to the less-read mid and end-of-week editions.
I no longer wished to subsidize the extreme right-wing political agenda being promoted by that rag.
Historically, the Dispatch has leaned right politically. I've known that since I moved to Columbus in 1961. And it's understandable, given the demographics of the population of central Ohio.
Until recently, however, there was at least a semblance of balance in its editorial content, and one could draw conclusions based on a range of presented opinions.
That is no longer the case.
After a long, unscientific examination of the paper's editorial content since 2008, I have concluded that 80% (or more) of the cartoons and op-ed pieces present bald-faced propaganda of the extreme rignt-wing of the Republican party. The most partisan pieces appear in the editions with high readership (weekends and Mondays). Dissenting opinions are primarily relegated to the less-read mid and end-of-week editions.
The propagandizing becomes even more apparent when one recognizes that the Dispatch apparently believes that presenting the views of a few moderate liberals is an appropriate balance to the opinions a host of contributors clinging to the ragged, right edge of the political spectrum.
As a result, I now consider The Columbus Dispatch to be worth neither the paper it's printed on nor the energy it takes to deliver the electronic edition to my computer.
If I owned a parakeet, I'd at least be able to put the editorial pages of Ohio's Greatest Home Newspaper to good, and appropriate, use.
