Pastor Tom Newton of Cornwall Ontario : High Cost of Newspaper Subscriptions

pastor-tom-A-800x450I am looking over my renewal subscription for the Standard Freeholder – $67.99 for three months. Like all things today, prices are rising, and I need to make every dollar count. I think it is time for a change. Why?

 

In the past the Freeholder has edited my “Letters to the Editor” to the point that the Freeholder could be considered a co-author on what I submitted. And yes, I have had my run in with Mr. Coffee grounds a few times; which is all part of the territory. Oh, yes thanks Claude for allowing our church to be listed in the Community events, as other churches.

 

There is more. I have submitted emails on some of the Freeholder’s services, asking questions about procedure, about how a web page is to work, and what am I doing wrong, why it doesn’t it work for me. Like for event pages, etc. To this day I have never; I say never received one email reply. Still I would send in my $67.99.

 

There is more. My family had the pleasure of delivering the Freeholder in our area a few years back. Customers loved my family – papers on time, courteous, friendly, but talk about a nightmare dealing with the Freeholder in the matter of payments, collections, and yes, organization. Considering the management at the time, some of the guys my family worked with did the best they could.  I pity the many carriers of the Freeholder – I am glad I don’t, nor my family have your job. A real exercise in futility! And yes, frustration!  [Note from Pastor Tom’s wife: Now we understand why there’s so much turnover in the carrier department!]

 

And still to this day, my children can’t understand why most of the comics were removed.

 

So I think before I write another check for the Freeholder, I am going to consider the other newspaper in town, and I am not talking about the Seaway News, or some of the other one page or two page papers that are in circulation. I get the Freeholder basically to keep me up to date on the events in our city and area, so I can be out on the streets to preach my Lord’s Gospel. I think I can find out about these events, and much more at that other newspaper. At least they return my emails, and up to this date they have been very professional, as it comes to journalism, and public relations. At least I will be able, with all due respect, to spell his name – the man who is the owner and editor of this other newspaper – when it comes to sending the check in.

 

Pastor Tom Newton

CalvaryBaptistChurch

(Comments and opinions of Editorials, Letters to the Editor, and comments from readers are purely their own and don’t necessarily reflect those of the owners of this site, their staff, or sponsors.)

 

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29 Comments

  1. Does the city require a busking permit?

  2. GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS, Tom. something drew me to this newspaper, a series of first’s, and fortunate events, you might call it. in the words of the song by anne murray, i can see clearly now the reign is gone, in feb i will have reached my first year of complete sobriety in over 35 years,
    this will be my first year to vote,
    and i’m 60 this month,
    i just attended my first peaceful DEMONSTRATION in support of NO TANKS,
    i’m seriously considering going into politics,via city council, something i would never have considered in the past, another first.
    this year i have asked for help from friends and family, something i never would have done in the past,,, i figured if i couldn’t do it on my own there was no need for it.
    this year i have begun saying whats on my mind before thinking about it’s consequences, guess thats just old age kicking in, but i have less tension in my life.
    the media has been lying to us for so long that we have become used to it and accept it as truth,
    and i believe that Jamie Gilcig has taken his press very seriously, supporting the causes of the down trodden, the weary, the weak, CFN is the first article i search in the morning, every morning, since it was suggested to me by a friend.
    CFN has renewed my faith, in truth, in print….. another first

  3. Does the city require a busking permit? No Furtz, It is called freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion – Charter Rights given to all Canadians.

  4. “I have had my run in with Mr. Coffee grounds a few times”

    Tom, I hope you don’t mean me. While I don’t always agree with you, I have never criticized you or stopped you from posting. That’s Jamie’s job….I’m Mr. Nice Guy here at CFN.

  5. Author

    Reg I think the good pastor is referring to Claude McIntosh, formerly of the Freeholder…

  6. Pastor Tom
    Why are you spending that much money on something you don’t like
    You can read almost every story FREE online
    If you feel the need for newsprint…leave the Cornwall seaway news open
    in front of your computer screen
    Someday when I am not busy will show you how to defeat the Seven and
    Twenty limit viewing at Toronto Star and Toronto Sun..its really quite easy
    A little bit harder at the New York Times as they have a team dedicated to
    defeating the work arounds..but…it can be done

  7. Pastor Tom
    Your not getting an emails because Standard Freeholder Does Not Run
    the Comment section online.
    When you agree to the rules of the Disqus community the very first thing they point
    out is THERE ARE NO MODERATORS…SF staff can delete and or close comment section
    but beyond that their hands are tied because they use this FREE service
    When you and Stellabyestarlight write in to complain…your writing a black hole
    there is nobody there. It costs money to hire staff and they won’t do it
    The place is run by a not very good computer program that can so easily be
    fooled its almost criminal
    Don’t always agree with coverage at SF but they do have some dedicated people
    trying their best with almost no staff or money support from the Sunmedia Empire
    that is losing all its money on a TV news station that draws fewer viewers than Cable 11

  8. I always thought that hanging around in public places with a guitar, singing songs and entertaining passers by was considered busking. Silly me.

  9. I don’t mean to be rude
    But following around after Pastor Tom
    Making snide comments
    Seems just a little strange

  10. Claudette MacIntosh – it is not a matter of complaining or comment sections. It has to do with the “UR” section on their web site for posting events and stuff.

  11. @Reg Coffey
    No Reg. Mr Coffee Grinds is a different character.
    Let’s put it in these terms just for fun:
    Do you remember the old Hercules cartoons from the 1960’s you know “with the strength of ten ordinary men”? Well this Mr. Coffee Grinds is like Newton the silly centaur. He is a schill for the Gods. Galloping around all day saying silly things and trying in all his silly actions to endear himself to the powerful figures above. His payoff is to deliver the messages of his masters . It’s a living.

  12. @Michael Clifton:
    Your description sounds like Claude McIntosh who’s always saying “Thats me, Thats me” even though he could easily pass for Daedalus too…..

  13. REWARD OFFER…$500
    To the first person that can get an even slightly negative comment under the submitted story at free holder
    The Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall made a donation of $10,000 to the Children’s Treatment Centre. The Diocese played a pivotal role in starting the Centre in 1996, being the first organization to make a commitment to donate $20,000 a year for five years and continuing this support afterwards with donations of $10,000 a year. Submitted photo
    My comment that disappeared…DIOCESE created the problem in the FIRST PLACE

    Dear Pastor Tom
    if u are A Bishop- you can go around the UR section- and get your “news/propaganda published

    “It has to do with the “UR” section on their web site for posting events and stuff.” says PT

    Sir: that– you report system— hasn’t worked for many months…the system is down on all Sun Media sites
    This i know as fact but below is my belief what probably happened

    1) Despite getting FREE copy for there online sites…it was an added work load to check over these public posts and they are truly struggling just to check their own copy

    2) Suspect many of the editors might have protested to a HIGHER POWER..ie sunmedia president
    that you are cutting our staff…sometimes in half..we have sports reporters covering the news..the paper is sent out to Quebec to fill in all the advertizing space..then the Editor gets to fill in the empty spaces with news and sports…
    3) you can already see..at least at the free holder that they are using more and more stories from sun news media group that have nothing to do with Cornwall
    4) If I was in the Journalism program at St Lawrence College my career opportunities are sinking faster than the Titanic

  14. Pastor before I read the other people’s blogs you gave me a real shocker on the price of the “toilet paper of record – SF” that I went almost fell off my chair in shock. I haven’t been this shocked in a while but paying that much for something that I could go to the store and buy much cheaper toilet paper than that. If you were not a Pastor here and Jamie would print it I have words for such a rip off – theft to the highest degree. I never purchase such crap and if I want a picture of Bare Ass and his culprits I can just look at them in the face on Jamie’s CFN paper or in person. I have a lot more important things that I could be spending on that that piece of crap.

  15. @ Melman. All the smaller Sun “news” outlets that I check out daily are going downhill fast. Local sports stories and BS by the likes of Esra Levant just don’t cut it.

  16. John good luck too you keep on posting

  17. Mr. Rothwell I wanted to send my best regards to you and you sure had an uphill battle and one to be congratulated with. I hope that you have all the success and get out there with the punches and you can help do good for the town. All the best and I mean that.

  18. I agree Mr. Newton. The money you’ve been blowing on a subscription to a second rate rag might be better spent on feeding the hungry. Surly with all your contacts in the community (flock) and Facebook friends, you’d know what’s going on in Cornwall. No? Just out of curiosity, how many events in Cornwall do you attend or picket per month?

  19. Edit; surely

  20. Pastor Newton the economy is in the tank and going to get much worse in the second quarter of this year. I do know too much but don’t spend a dime more than you have to. Spend only on the necessities of life. I haven’t purchased a paper since 40 years and I don’t want sanatized news but I want real news. You take good care of yourself and your family and just stay with Jamie who tells all of you the truth. The big newspaper chains are coming down as well where there will not be anymore printed copy very soon. The post office is coming down as well.

  21. Furtz writes “Just out of curiosity, how many events in Cornwall do you attend or picket per month?” Well considering the Lord Jesus’ command -“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:18-20). I would say as many as weather, health, and the providence of God would allow.

  22. Good for you Pastor Newton you told it like it is. That is exactly what Jesus taught. The Catholic church is very rich and can spare plenty of money. I no longer attend the RC church since many years because the truth awakened me of all the hypocracies and what is going on that I cannot deal with. I pray at home and try to do the best I can to be a good person. The RC church has done too much damage and they have to come good to the people that they hurt badly. I have the KJV Bible here that belonged to a friend of ours who is a Baptist and a very good person who goes around to preach even though he isn’t a valid minister. There are some good followers of the Bible and I wish that there were so many more. These days people have lost faith and getting much worse unfortunately.

  23. @Furtz
    Local sports stories can be some of the backbone stories of a local paper.

    It seems Furtz, you’re not much of a sports fan. And, of course, that’s cool . Different strokes.

    The problem is the quality of the writing. To me, the gold standard in Canadian amatuer sports newspaper writing was set by the recently deceased, Randy Starkman.
    The late Mr. Starkman covered the amatuer sports beat involving all manner of sporting disciplines with: honest interest, depth, clarity and factual accuracy. He covered the Canadian amatuer sports scene with true dignity and respect . This was reflected in his enthusiasm to pursue a story and interest the reader in something other than the never-ending barrage of pro sport promotion. The substance was always there, Randy Starkman made it shine.
    Sadly, I see these qualities lacking in the coverage of the “other” local paper. A recent article about the local swim team saddened me with its mailed-in spirit and head-scratching statements. I know, who cares?

    I believe that if your going to cover the local sports beat, you should at least possess an accurate sense of the collective sports history of the community you’re writing about. Otherwise, you’re just writing vanity pieces to please the kids parents . And that’s not good sports writing.

    Over at the “other ” paper: Please check out some real amatuer sports writing. Randy Starkman is a good place to start.

  24. You are correct Michael. I don`t give a rat`s ass who wins the Stanley Cup or any other cup, or who slides down the hill the fastest at the multi-billion dollar Olympic games. All that BS just keeps repeating itself year after year accomplishing nothing other than adding more stats to the record books.

  25. News flash – right off the press: Standard Freeholder is raising their subscription price by $5.50 + tax.

  26. Author

    maybe more people will now subscribe to CFN?

  27. That is outrageously high Pastor Newton. I agree Jamie that maybe more will subscribe to your CFN and it is the only paper that I read. I don’t even read Ottawa’s papers so you can well imagine. Yours is the only paper that gives the real news. You are the best there is Jamie and we all know it and so do they. The printed matter is going out soon and hang in there.

  28. Being widely circulated, is different than throwing small pebbles in a pond. Write a book, and make it count. And don’t forget God is the author and finisher of us all! We publish a voice, because the noise is new! -Wendy Huggins

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