My first job in journalism was at age 17 as a sportswriter for what was then the Scottsdale Daily Progress, a locally owned afternoon daily that covered Scottsdale news and local sports like no one else could. Years later it was sold into the Tribune family, combining with Mesa, Tempe and Chandler to be part of the East Valley Tribune. Off and on I’ve been a subscriber for nearly a quarter-century.
On Friday I received a letter informing me that the Scottsdale Tribune would no longer be delivered to my home after next Sunday. And I live within the City of Scottsdale! A few months ago my subscription lapsed and they kept delivering the paper anyway. Now that I have resubscribed they won’t deliver it to my home anymore.
Greg Patterson has been chronicling the business struggles of the newspaper industry over the last few years, including the Tribune’s latest problems. But I have to admit that I am stunned at the speed with which this industry is retracting.
