Local Publications

Are there too many local publications? Let’s review the ones we have and look at their good and bad qualities.

The Daily Astorian is our five day per week daily paper. As a community member I hear a lot of negative things about the editor. The letters to the editor often say the paper leans too far left. It rarely gets accused of leaning too far right, but then again they did endorse Richard Lee, who ended up winning the election by only 37 votes. All of the local news in the daily A is on the front page and in the small upper portion of page three which in now over-run by ads. The left over portions of the local news is stuffed on the last page. Their national coverage is top 10 news only. Generally the paper is OK, but not great.

The Seaside Signal, on the other hand is mostly local blather. They give everyone in town a chance to be in the paper every week. They have Clair Lovell still publishing her spew 20 years and counting. All I can ask is Why?

The Cannon Beach Gazette, has probably the smallest circulation or any news paper ever. They would get more readers if they went to a blog format.

The Columbia Press, with less circulation than the Cannon Beach Gazette is a right wing, crime fighting, dog loving recyclable cellulous.

Hip Fish was a great idea and maybe still is. It has some pretty talented writers, but after a few editions I feel as though I am going to be hit in the head with a sledge hammer with issues that I have long tired of reading about or even caring about. Yea, yea we know you are against the LNG, the war, George Bush and into the Zen Maze, the local drinking scene, the numerous music and theater events taking place here. But can you lighten up just a little. Make us laugh. What ever happened to that lisping dog that used to send messages from the after-life.

The North Coast Times Eagle, ho boy, talk about needing a sense of humor, this paper has never had one, which is odd because Michael McKusker is a funny guy. I read this publication when I want to read about to cheer myself up so my own existence doesn’t see quite so bleak. Great art work in this paper, though.

I suspect the Upper Left Edge is no longer in print, but it started as a really good paper. A real grass roots hobby paper.

Now the Astoria Review is a new glossy magazine that shamelessly promotes the artistic (?) endeavors of the three staff members, and throw in the River See Gallery. Please don’t encourage them. There is a reason they are in Astoria and not in a better place for their careers.

Finally, the Coast River Journal is replacing the Columbia Business Journal. This paper is much better than the CBJ because it tells you who started a business, bought and sold real estate and for how much and who applied for building permits. This is the sort of news locals really want, the nosy stuff.

So in conclusion there are a lot of publications and most of them suck, but to each their own. As long as people keep reading. Things change and get better or worse. Just like the Capital Press. This paper is getting worse with every edition. The paper is getting physically smaller as is the print as is the feature articles. They are owned by the East Oregon Publishing Co, the same group that owns the Daily Astorian. If this is a company trend, be prepared to see the Astorian get dumbed down amd reduced even further in the future. At least they have "Bizarro."