Paper a huge bargain

There is no greater fraud than the word “free.” Unless it comes from God, such as love, life and sunshine, nothing is free. Same goes for the “free online content” Gary Crooks mentions in his “Newspaper decline” column in last Sunday’s paper. That news flash item may be freely available online, but there is zero depth while the website targets your impulses, dignity or wallet.

This is where I find the newspaper such a valuable tool and part of my daily bread. I do not buy the paper for the news. I buy it for the hard work of providing the facts and opinions behind the cheap “news flash” I get free on TV or the internet. I am most impressed by the changes and adaptations The Spokesman-Review has made to make the paper meaningful, educational and useful.

From investigative reporting on local issues, to Doug Clark, these letters to the editor, Roundtable, Boomer U, local outdoor articles, syndicated columns and the comics, to name a few, I find the newspaper a huge bargain for less than a dollar a day delivered to my door. I hope the paper prospers and recaptures its glory days.

Phil Zammit

Spokane