July 6, 2005, on this blog: Pippin Weekly
It’s also possible that insulting the intelligence and aspiration of younger readers may not be the best approach to winning them over. And, in any case, this is not what a newspaper is supposed to be for.
It’s disappointing that this idea — the question “what is a newspaper for?” — is now seen as irrelevant or even transgressive or hostile by many of the people now in charge of the business of producing newspapers. Such people have no qualms about trying to maximize their readership by Maxim-izing their content.
Thus our Pippin-esque weekly paper for younger readers.
It’s OK at what it attempts, I guess. If you want to know a little bit but not too much about the latest movies and music, or the latest trends or fashions, or any of the other latest things that might help you get laid. And if you have no aspiration higher or other than acquiring lots of the latest CDs, DVDs and clothes and thereby getting laid, then this might be your idea of a good read.
But it’s not going to turn you into a reader of newspapers. And it’s not going to help you find your corner of the sky.
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