I do want to say that I didn’t forget about the folks I left behind at the Times. Their professional fate weighs on me, both as a journalist and a citizen.

But people still working at misguided, poorly managed newspapers are not the only journalists in the field. As a former newspaper reporter, I’m especially sensitive to the needs of those other journalists, too.

When subscribers continue to support newspapers that don’t deliver what they once did, or don’t report with the community’s best interests in mind, they make it harder for start-ups and competitors to convince advertisers that they offer a better alternative.

Advertising isn’t a strict zero-sum game, but continued support for publications that no longer earn our support on a daily basis does make it harder for their competitors to establish themselves in the marketplace.

Now, we can argue whether or not the LA Times is worthy of continued support. You’re right, the paper produces some good work. But it also produces some destructive garbage. And until Zell’s crew is gone, I’m not re-upping.

That said, I’d like to say that my wife and I have become newspaper subscribers again. But we’re subscribing to the New York Times, on Kindle. We believe it to be a better paper, with more extensive journalism and sharper commentary.

Plus there’s no ink to get my fingers dirty (which I hate). :^)