So now we have the Herald to step in and fill the void. I am sure the Herald will continue to give us great coverage on Clayton County.

Hahaha.

I for one couldnt be happier to see the AJC in the beginnings of its death throes. Like the rest of the American media, it has elevated itself to the level of grand defender of hard core left wing causes, military hating, pro devient behavior, anti common sense coverage of the news. Most recently, it went through spasms over the fact that some of us would not tell them who we voted for for the DOT board. While I dont offer them any information, I am happy to tell my constiuents that I voted for the losing candidate in the 3rd Congressional district race for the board.
Good bye and good riddance to a worthless rag that isnt fit to line a bird cage bottom.

Senator, while I'm inclined to agree with you, regarding the far left slant, at least they on occasion tried to shed some light on the dark hole of the south side... The Herald certainly doesn't/won't/can't. We on the south are continually slighted by the elitist north side. You'd think we were chopped liver down here and I'm about sick of it!!!!!!

The AJC does slant to the left, however...Eric and Add did a damn fine job coverage Henry County and I think that needs to be recognized.

They dropped the Henry section, it is certainly in the beginnings of its death throes.

Yet another worthless rant Senator.

"We on the south are continually slighted by the elitist north side."
Jazz, I see it every day at the capitol.

Native....may I suggest you, well never mind, women read this too.

I am now convinced that Henry Native is a well chosen moniker meant to throw us off track.

One, Native is actually from a completely different Henry County than the rest of us.

Or Two, Native cannot grasp the nuances of conservative and liberal thinking.

Or Three, Native really is deaf, dumb & blind.

Senator, I cannot express my appreciation that a person of your insight and character represents my part of the Real Henry County. I kinda think if the lines required me to rely on Jones, I would either move or mount an insurrection.

So our options for real coverage of Henry are now: jasonpye.com and... uhh... wait, that's it, the local papers (with the exception of the Times who should publish more often) suck.

Not surprisingly I am going to be the contrarian here. I share the distain for the editorial policy of the AJC and agree that many "news" stories are actually editorials masquerading as news stories.

BUT - more press -even left leaning press - is better than no press. I dont know the exact quote and I am too lazy today to find it - but one of those smart old guys who wrote the DoI, Const. and BoR, said something about how the press is a disinfectent for politics... or something like that.

While I like Sen Douglas and agree with him more than I disagree, I am concerned anytime I see an elected official rejoicing in the demise of press coverage. While I doubt that Sen Douglas meant anything nefarious - how would we on the right and in the libertarian camp have felt if Pres Clinton had rejoiced in the decline of the Washington Times or FOX News Network?

Whats the old expression about oxes getting gored?

One more thought on the AJC. When you know what you're getting you can fill in the blanks..... It helps to know your enemy and how he thinks.....

No one has ever heard me say or write that I am opposed to freedom of the press and that I dont believe we need a free press. My point is that we need a press that will tell the truth or we will lose the free press we have.
Now, there are many options on the internet to find news that is not hard core leftist. I like www.freerepublic.com for a compilation of news that is conservative and accurate. Foxnews.com is also good. As for the AJC, once again, all its troubles have been brought on itself and I have no sympathy.

Sen Douglas-

I did not mean to intimate that you were an enemy of free press. BUT - I am concerned whenever there is a reduction in the amount of press coverage.

There is no greater champion of free market than I. The Market DOES work. Nonetheless, I am concerned that the other papers covering this area (Herald and the weeklies), do not have the budget, the staff or the ability to do the job of a vigorous press.

I will second Jason's comments about Add and Eric, they have been very fair and balanced in my opinion! I wish them the best and if the Herald, Times, or Neighbor was smart - they would gobble these guys up in a hurry.

I also think that Ariel Hart and Paul Donskey on Transportation beat for the AJC do a good job. I dont believe either of these writers agree with my position on commuter rail but often give me the opportunity to share my side.

As a whole the AJC is slanted but as with any situation there is good among the evil! Lets not forget Mr. Wooten, either.

About a year ago or so, the AJC pissed me off so much that I cancelled my subscription. It had to do with an online story about an ex-Marine killing a pregnant teen, when the real story was about a citizen defending himself from a gang of thugs.

Since then, I have automatically thrown the Thursday Henry delivery away.

I don't think that I have missed anything. The AJC can fold completely and I will not care.

I like www.freerepublic.com for a compilation of news that is conservative and accurate. Foxnews.com is also good.

Do you read, watch, or listen to anything that challenges your worldview?

Do you read, watch, or listen to anything that challenges your worldview?

A challenge to my worldview is welcomed. Blatant twisting of rational thought, though, annoys me.

Think of active participation in spinning a web of misinformation. Think immediately of Nancy Pelosi decrying the "Republican culture of corruption." We saw hundreds of stories coast to coast about every Republican who fell off the ethics wagon. Similarly we saw only a score of similar stories about Alcee Hastings, William Jefferson, Pelosi herself.

As the principal venue for "reporting news" periodicals like the AJC fail miserably in their journalistic responsibility.

But they do command the largest market share. So we sane, conservatives make the best possible use of that venue. The few dedicated journalists onboard are the ones we will miss, not the biased tripe that normally flows.

During my short (very short) relationship as a columnist for the Henry Times I was called their "token conservative" by the editor.

These are the facts, and they are not disputed.

Eric Stirgus relied to my email with this: "You can contact our public editor, Angela Tuck, regarding the changes. Her e-mail address is atuck@ajc.com. The primary reason for discontinuing the zone section is because the AJC's leadership said there hasn't been enough advertising revenue to sustain a weekly community edition. The newspaper business has suffered greatly in recent years from declining ad revenue and readership. The AJC is trying to adapt as best it can to the changing business world."

I suppose that we could try to save something.

Well now should we ask the state to use some tax money to support the enterprise?

Seems to me all those in favor of rail subsidy should be all over this and demand some of my tax money to support the paper. We need a news paper that covers the Southside, at least in Henry. We could have a SPLOST or just ask the medical center to chunk in a couple of million, it’s advertising right Pubic?

Come on and let’s march on the capital like the Brain Train and demand a fix for Cox so they can continue to loose money.

Classical Jazz you lead the way and save this news paper with other people's money!

Where did that come from? I was only suggesting that southsiders should blast Tuck with emails..... they could at least try a "south side edition" similar to the "popular NorthSide section that will continue three days a week" (quote from the article).

The scoop from a remaiing staff member:

The AJC is offering buyouts (early retirement) for staffers with over 10 years service and age of 55. Hopefully enough folks will accept those terms to avoid layoffs, which management has said they do not want.

I read somewhere that this management decision is called Zero Sum Expansion.

Eric is still onboard:

Eric Stirgus
Staff Writer
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
770-282-8306
fax: 770-282-8311
EStirgus@ajc.com

As long as people have opinions, there will be no true, balanced press. As Sen. Douglas inadvertently demonstrated, a "good" or "worthwhile" newspaper to most is one that panders to opinion and political beliefs...not one that objectively reports the news without passing judgment or trying to sway public opinion. Fox News is blatantly "conservative," and the AJC is blatantly "liberal." Both are less than truthful in their reporting.

The only hope citizens have is to be widely read and read/view all reporting regardless of slant, then make up their minds for themselves. While I hate to quote the X-Files, their episode starting quotes of "Trust No One" and "The Truth Is Out There" are about as accurate as anything I have seen.

As as any type of media panders to public opinion instead of reporting strictly news--there will always be people who think one source is more reliable than the other. I don't like Fox News, and I don't like the AJC with the exception of Eric Sturgis. We must read/view all types of media information and form our own opinions as to truthfulness.