Year by year, the number of afternoon dailies shrinks. My own newspaper, The Miami Herald, needed The Miami News' competition to ward off our own laziness, to hone our instincts to do our best, always. Because we knew that if we didn't report a story, The Miami News would. Right up until my retirement last Dec. 31, I missed The Miami News' contrary perspective every day. For no matter how good a newspaper is, it will always be better if it has stiff competition.
Human nature dictates it.
Last Saturday The Indianapolis Star quoted an Indianapolis News subscriber, Joy Cochran, as saying that she would subscribe to The Star but wouldn't read it until late afternoon. That's when, of course, she always read The News. I always hate to see tradition go completely by the wayside. So do we all, Ms. Cochran. So do we all.