We are now enjoying a new selection of comics and a pretty spiffy-looking weather page. Can we continue to "readerize" the Sun-Star? Can we eliminate features none of us want?
Maybe there are none -- maybe some of us like each and every feature that's printed. But it's possible there are things in the paper that virtually no one reads.
Take "Stargazing" for example. I, for one, don't give a hoot whether or not Randy Quaid stiffed a high-priced motel -- then later paid them. Or who's cheating, dating, or has a new movie. I know, some of us probably do read it. Just not me.
Then there's the lottery results column. Does anyone really need it?
How many will admit to being faithful readers of "Dear Abby," written by Abigail Van Buren? (Actually, there was no Abigail Van Buren -- it's a pen name picked by Pauline Phillips in 1956. When she died, her daughter Jeanne continued the syndicated column.)
Who reads their daily horoscope?
Anyone?
Is there a viable audience for the Bridge column? Probably so, since there is a duplicate bridge club mentioned in the meetings column.
Who reads the daily stock market listings? Better yet, who reads it without using a magnifying glass?
Speaking of a magnifying glass, what power glass do you use to read the TV listings?
Do you scan the police blotter to see if anyone you know is mentioned?
Should we just sit silently back, thinking, "It's always been this way?" Besides, if we do remove something, what could it be replaced with? Are there other, more interesting tidbits offered by the syndicators?
The idea that readers should be able to select their paper's content isn't far-fetched at all.
But it may be hard to get total consensus. We are a diverse group with different interests, likes and priorities.
Some could say, "Your junk is someone else's treasure."
Actually the idea of tailored newspapers has been discussed. In June, the Washington Times hosted a conference, "The 'Individuated Newspaper' Conference."
"Individuated" is a word coined by Peter Vandevanter, vice president of the Denver-based Media News Group.
The concept works like this. You don't buy a newspaper. Instead, you buy a printer -- from your media company. You then tailor "your" paper to include exactly what you want. Nothing more and nothing less.
At press time, "your" newspaper is sent to your printer. When you wake up, it's there, high and dry. No driveway to search, no paper carrier that needs tipping.
I assume testing hasn't started yet, since I can't find anything about it on the Los Angeles Times' Web site. It was scheduled to be tested there "this summer."
Tailoring printed material to households is actually not new. Almost all subscription magazines are assembled on computer controlled production lines, called demographic binding. Yes, your issue of "People" could definitely be different from the one that your neighbor gets.
If your neighbor is a golfer and you have young children, he could get ads from Titleist or Callaway, while you get ads from Pampers and Toys "R" Us.
But I digress. Do we want to accept the status quo and keep the Sun-Star as is, or ask for more content to be tailored to our desires? You tell me.
We are the customer, right?
Tom Frazier writes Sun Dog and can be reached at sundog@promessage.com.
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