Just discovered: The Post-Bulletin opens up a little

It is curious to me that the more "right wing" a publication leans, the more proprietary it makes its material. This isn't always true, but a strong case in point is the Wall Street Journal, which jealously guards much of its information behind a firewall that requires cash — er, credit card — to get through.

Generally, the preponderance of national newspapers, virtually all of which offer a less reactionary editorial stance, at least make their recent material available to the general public before sequestering it behind on online payment system.

Admittedly, newspaper publishing is going through a radical change because the of the internet. Last fall, when I was touring the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus with my son who was looking into going there, I casually entered into conversation with one of the other fathers on the tour. I asked him what he did, and he admitted somewhat sheepishly that he was a senior New York Times editor. I said, "That's terrific. My son is thinking of going into journalism."

"No, no," he said, "steer him to something else. There's no money to be made in journalism anymore." Why? I asked. "The internet. The Times has been losing money on the internet ever since day one."

Making money posting news and opinion on the internet is certainly an elusive goal — Vox Verax certainly doesn't — but at least the costs are low thanks to rapid technological advances and to a worldwide governmental "hands off" policy. (Historically, "hands on" has too often created government-blessed economic monopolies.)

At any rate, the Rochester Post-Bulletin is somewhat like the Wall Street Journal. Though not quite as reactionary in its editorial stance, it still aggressively limits access to its material. I would argue that this is counterproductive in the the long run, for if you hide your information behind a barrier, how is anyone outside your local area going to find out about what's going on in your community?

In effect, the Post-Bulletin's firewall has taken news from Rochester off the worldwide map, which is a shame.

However...

I recently discovered that the Post-Bulletin does allow its blog "out of the closet" (as it were), and one of the gems of that blog is Matt Stolle's "Capitol Letters". Matt is a fine, fair political reporter whose words need to be heard outside the Post-Bulletin circulation area.

I suggest to anyone who is interested in what may turn out to be a key congressional race in Minnesota's 1st District — incumbent Gil Gutknecht vs. challenger Tim Walz — that they check out what Matt has to say.

LP

P.S. My son will be moving into his dorm in Madison in just a few weeks. He will not be taking a journalism course... at least in the first semester.