C-J promotes illegal activity?

"BYOB to mind your budget at restaurants" on the front page of yesteraday's (Sunday) business section promotes the practice of bringing your own wine for consumption at a local restaurant. Sounds good, but for those that may not be aware.....this is illegal in both Kentucky and Indiania!

A quick call to business editor Dan Blake to question why they would run an article that would cause diners to request restaurants to break the law was met with indifference and an "I didn't realize that it was illegal". Great reporting; it took me all of 5 minutes to confirm Indiania's law.

Times are tough enough, restaurant owners will now have to politely explain that they are not being greedy in not allowing guests to bring that special wine to enjoy for a $10-$20 corkage fee; they're just following the law.

That's incredible. The public already must be educated as to the phone-book sized rulebook for establishments that serve alcohol, and now One Tepid Newspaper takes laziness to a new height. There's something new everyday to remind me that my cancellation of the CJ was one of the better ideas I've had lately.

Roger A. Baylor
There's something new everyday to remind me that my cancellation of the CJ was one of the better ideas I've had lately.

I'm in total agreement with you. Defintely one of my better ideas, too!

Finally canceled my subscription (Sun only) 2 months ago- still get a paper every week.
It's sort of like urban herpes.

[Robin Garr]

Finally canceled my subscription (Sun only) 2 months ago- still get a paper every week.
It's sort of like urban herpes.

This was discussed in another recent thread, Gary. Apparently it's reached the point where they need to be "creative" to keep the circulation figures up to support ad rates. Which, of course, is very unfair to advertisers being charged for "ghost" readers.

Funny you guys mention that because I randomly found the C-J on my porch two mornings last week! I even asked my neighbors if it was theirs delivered to me instead! What a strange tactic!

I worked for the Wall Street Journal's circulation department years ago. They would routinely add every doctor, dentist, lawyer and insurance agent in town to the subscription list just to fill out the numbers.

I'm not sure which is more horrifying: the fact that they're promoting illegal (for no apparent good reason) behavior or their tactics to boost circulation.

If investigative journalism wasn't dead (for the most part), then maybe there would be someone around to do a story on either of them.

[Robin Garr]

they're promoting illegal (for no apparent good reason) behavior or their tactics to boost circulation.

I didn't read the story, Paul, but I assume it was a wire-service piece written in a jurisdiction (California, for instance, or even Missouri) where BYO is legal, and picked up without serious editing or even much deep thought. Never attribute to malice that which can be explained by mere incompetence.

It's really depressing that the best thing about the once great Courier-Journal is the Sunday Target ad.

It's really depressing that the best thing about the once great Courier-Journal is the Sunday Target ad.

I get the CJ for 3 things:

1) The LA Times Sunday Crossword (I think that's where it originates...don't really know)

2) The Target Ad

3) The coupons

They recently offered everyday service for ONE YEAR at the same price as just weekends. So, for $10.10/month I get a paper everyday.

It's really depressing that the best thing about the once great Courier-Journal is the Sunday Target ad.

They recently offered everyday service for ONE YEAR at the same price as just weekends. So, for $10.10/month I get a paper everyday.

Cancel in a month and you'll get it for free. I've not paid in I don't know when.

Incredible story. Print journalists are a dying breed. Like dinosaurs.

Incredible story. Print journalists are a dying breed. Like dinosaurs.

There were moments, in the mid to mid-late 90s, where print newspapers could have redefined how they operate or, maybe even, have shaped how we use digital technologies. As it is now, the print version holds little influence and the digital websites - which are mostly just copies of the print crap - are pretty worthless too. Most simply kept believing that they knew what the audience wanted even when audience trends completely and utterly showed that the audience wanted something different.

They are really behind the eight-ball now in that they want to change their role without changing their role. They still want to be seen as a serious form of journalism but that's hard to sell when you are running MetroMix and Moms' Blog as your headline material.

I would feell sorry for the newspaper industry but what's the old saying about digging your own grave?

Restaurant owners fear not. I believe there are only a dozen or so people who still read the print edition of the CJ.