Recently, my public library in suburban Austin decided to remove free copies of independent newspaper The Austin Chronicle. The paper innocuously disappeared at the entrance of the library. Usually, free copies get picked up quickly on Thursdays when new editions arrive. Some copies remain in the magazine section along with a weekly edition of the New York Times. These copies can’t be taken home.

Both papers publish a version of the news that would appeal to an educated population. Once conservative and blue collar, the suburbs of Austin are now flourishing with wealthier American transplants from Blue States. They also attract immigrant communities thanks to higher performing schools. I grew up reading American newspapers and books including the Bible, the most printed book of all time.

Every time I read the NYT and The Austin Chronicle, I get an eyeful of what’s happening beyond the banality of daily life (car accidents, weather, and crime). Articles from both are easily accessible online. However, my family and I have embraced long-form journalism in its physical format. I believe people are growing tired of social media and their friend feeds. Even social media magnate Mark Zuckerberg recently declared the end of social media.

If you want to go offline and avoid AI, the best place is the local library. If you want to escape the echo chamber of bias and misinformation, read newspapers and books off the palm of your hands to formulate your own opinions.

“The decimation of local papers is an underrated cause of the decline in our politics.

Andrew Yang

In today’s NYT, I was reading about Singapore, a country lauded for its governance and ethics. A counterpoint made by the son of the country founder shared one of the worst kept secrets in the world — that Singapore had become an authoritarian regime. Singapore successfully achieved single party rule to the detriment of its citizens.

I also read in the Austin Chronicle about Texas passing a school voucher program which would siphon public school funding and boost the private sector which is already flush with cash and wealthy donors. According to a friend, the new Texas voucher program doesn’t benefit charter schools which already receive public funding. Eventually, I anticipate my sky-high property taxes to go up to cover for the shortfall in funding for public schools. Akin to Singapore, one political party clearly rules Texas.

In places like Singapore and Texas, voter turnout seems to be on the decline to the glee of incumbents. Only 61% of registered Texas voters casted a vote in 2024 according to the Texas Tribune. Suppressing voter turnout favors the old school gerontocracy where incumbents and retreads never retire. Without newspapers and public news media to hold government accountable, I believe democracies start to fail. Journalism and public media is weak in countries with strongman leaders.

The ruling political parties all over the world pretend to push for prosperity, but end up leaving their populace barefoot and poor. A strong democracy has multiple political parties and allows for dissent & freedom of speech. In recent decades, a tiny percentage of Americans have grown in fortune and power—exploiting a system catering to two-party rule.

I saw the recent movie Navalny about the demise of the famed Russian dissident. I’m not only worried about the big things happening in America, but also the little things. Something as small as removing free access to a public newspaper from an institution funded by my tax dollars is unacceptable.

The worst part about this minuscule observation is that it was barely noticeable. So many freedoms are being taken away everyday while the population stays glued to their phones. American citizens need to pay attention in order to protect democracy and prevent idiocracy.

We can’t afford to lose ‘local news’ journalism to the internet chat rooms like Reddit and Discord or to the powerful media players more focused on partisanship and entertainment. The people we elected locally (and nationally, for that matter) don’t mind the local news going away if it sustains their political careers for many more years to come.

Notes:

Sonal Shah, an Austin-based journalist, penned a farewell note as CEO of the Texas Tribune upon her recent departure: link

I’d like to echo her comments as Texans need fact-based journalism more than ever. The Texas Tribune, The Austin Chronicle, and the city newspapers across the state are toiling in difficult circumstances. They need your support!