If your the type that has no problem plucking down $25 for the weekly frum Jewish newspapers and magazines you may or may not care about the content. However, many of us can not afford it, yet we buy the papers with a trust that the editors do their utmost to deliver a great paper or magazine. We trust them to deliver interesting featured articles, thought provoking content and assume they pay columnists to write weekly articles of substance. To a large degree they do so, despite the challenges of publishing a frum paper without the so called "norm" of the secular press, where Lashon Hora, rechilus and shmutz dominate the paper.
However in order to be profitable, they will seek ads from stores, mosdos and organizations to help offset the costs and make a profit.
Recently certain Mosdos, one in particular, have taken over many of the frum papers. They are all great mosdos and do wonderful work, but, why are we paying to read about them again and again. Their events overtake the front cover story week after week in different magazines and papers. The articles are posted as a news feature while in reality its a paid commercial. The frum papers have become commercialized. The week following the 12th Siyum Hashas one local paper that featured the Siyum Hashas on the front cover was not the one at Metlife stadium where all its readership attended, but of a different one that took place in Eretz Yisrael. The editor was paid by that org to promote it on that specific week. How insulting is that to the readership.
I wonder if there is a Gneivas daas on the editors part, knowing they are publishing paid content in the form of a news story. Its OK to write an article once in a while even monthly, but week after week to overtake even the free local weeklies in various frum communities is over the line. Not only are the editors making good money from this, but they charge us to read it too!
Yes, In today's world unfortunately, the Mosdos need exposure and PR, they have to advertise and it costs lots of money, but, a supplement should do. Why take over the front page week after week? Enough with the branding! give us a break. If you can afford it why not print your own weekly paper or magazine.
Let us have some Oneg Shabbos!
To me the issue is not with the papers; they're businesses and are trying to make a few bucks. Gneivas daas isnt an issue bec. it really doesnt fool anyone.
ReplyDeleteThe issue in my opinion is this Mossad itself. Why does it feel the need to throw itself in our faces everywhere we turn? And with such nauseating superlatives and platitudes! Theyve made a joke out of themselves and are b'geder Lather Rinse Repeat.
No one makes you buy what you don't want to read.
ReplyDelete