My (paid) info diet has to change
An unintentional deep dive into what I pay to read
Most people go on a media diet these days because of the politics.
They don’t want to keep reading the news, especially if they feel like it’s taking over their life.
I have a similar problem — but I don’t think it affects my behavior (of course it does) but I’m retiring.
To me reading a lot of news and media is like how others may play a mindless game on their phone.
But lately, I’ve been thinking about canceling everything.
But I have too many inputs. Especially from media sources and newsletters and magazines, yes print ones.
I don’t feel like I have enough for the deep reading that I should probably be invested in, though one of my absolute favorite things in the world is to read super-long essays. But those aren’t books.
And I want to read more books, even the “contemporary” ones that are like 5 Substacks with more research and get flipped into a book.
To help me make some cuts, I tried to list out all of the paid text-driven media sources that I currently consume.
(This doesn’t count my Apple TV subscription, for example).
I will indicate below which ones I’m keeping and which ones I’m canceling.
Do I actually read this? Or do I just like having it?
Let’s find out.
“Traditional Magazines”
I’m calling it that, because these are things that started as magazines and have morphed into daily commentary.
The New Yorker
I get this delivered to my apartment
I used to subscribe to this from like 2010 to 2016 and then canceled for a few years and then picked it back up again probably in 2020.
I mostly read it in print and I like taking it on the train. I very rarely if ever visit The New Yorker’s website.
I like the food columns because she goes to a lot of “normal” places that regular people visit or could visit, but are still very interesting — like this Hawaiian bbq plate lunch spot. She’s always suggesting good simple eats, and so I will miss that, but I could re-sub in a few months which is probably what I will end up doing, but I need a break for now.
Decision: Cancel
Reason: There’s nothing like a good New Yorker article, especially for us folks who grew up on big essays and print magazines. I like loading up my travel bag with 4 or 5 issues and then settling in to read a bunch of essays on a nice quiet deck overlooking a beach or a lake. But it seems kind of hit or miss here lately. I feel like I know the formula now — they start with the contemporary news hook, and then move directly into their past and how they got there, and then they start talking to the people who work with them or disagree with them or whatever. It’s also more about ecology and nature lately, and while I don’t disagree with those items, I don’t like or read a lot about nature or science.
I always enjoy their profiles on writers or tech figures
Talk of Town is usually kinda funny, but I’m not sure what value I’m getting from glimpses into Whoopi Goldberg’s closet full of shoes
New York Magazine
I get this in print delivered to my apartment
This is quite literally the magazine I have subscribed to for the longest, I remember making a pizza recipe they suggested back when I lived in North Carolina, and that was more than 15 years ago.
I still expect it to come weekly (like The New Yorker) but they stopped weekly print issues more than a decade ago
I used part of my college magazine’s budget to subscribe to New York magazine because I had heard about Adam Moss and all the great work he was doing, and I really haven’t quit.
Is now the time to quit, now that I live in New York city? No, it’s not.
Decision: Keep
I finally have come to the place in my life where New York magazine is actually a utility for me. They have this section called Strategist which gives you mostly tips on things to buy, including from random little shops in Manhattan or Brooklyn or wherever, and then they have apartment living profiles which I’m more fascinated in than ever before and I do need to know where the best tennis courts are
So previously I subscribed to this magazine for their long features (they usually have something in-depth yet somehow more controversial than a New Yorker profile) but now I’m staying because they now have the insights I need for my daily life—like this recent spread on things every New Yorker needs to know and I finally knew what they are talking about, life is funny that way
WSJ
Already canceled very recently
NY Times / The Athletic
Should have cancelled last year, but now I can’t
I’ll be honest, this is my default news outlet. If you can’t tell, I’m a media snob, I used to read Columbia Journalism Review regularly in college and grad school, so yeah I look for the most sophisticated news writing, and usually (or traditionally) this has been it
But in the best low-brow high-brow spin, I can’t cancel it for the very reason they hoped that a normie wouldn ‘t — I really like The Athletic (NBA & baseball coverage is great!) and my wife likes their games app and I just checked the other day and it’s cheaper for me to keep the NYTimes + The Athletic + The Games App then cancel the news portion
Decision: Read Less
I don’t even feel like I’m that informed on the news to be honest
I scroll a bunch of headlines, then can’t remember them and end up clicking on their culture articles anyway which I could prob get a dose of elsewhere
TampaBay.com
I get this because I’m a big Tampa Bay Rays (baseball) fan and this is the only outlet that keeps up with them well and it’s about $9 for the whole year (eh, it’s probably more than that), here’s the GOAT Marc Topkin
I usually sub and then cancel after baseball season
My parents used to live in Tampa Bay and I spent my high school years there and my sister still lives there, so I like to keep up with the happenings.
Decision: Keep until end-of-baseball season
NY Daily News
Part of my issue with the NYTimes is that it is a national newspaper and I never know what’s happening on the streets, so to speak and this site tells me that, even though it can confirm some of the worst fears about NYC
Recently subscribed a month or 2 ago, we’ll see how it goes
Decision: Keep for now
Feel like I’m still getting to know what NYC is really like
Business Insider
A friend of mine works here and I think I signed up for it after I met him, but I don’t read it often, but my sub runs out in July
Decision: Keeping until the subscription runs out
Christianity Today
I get this delivered to my apartment
I mostly read the magazine when it comes to me every 2 months. I check the website every few weeks.
It helps me understand Christian culture, especially on a global stage more than other outlets
My grandmother first gifted this to me back in college and I’ve kept it up, she paid for it mostly, I’m grateful for that.
Decision: Keep
I appreciate the refreshed direction from Russell Moore and Mike Cosper, so I’ll probably stick with it for the time being
Substacks
Let’s support independent writers, right? That have been freed from the shackles of corporate media, right?
House of Strauss
Probably my fav newsletter b/c Ethan Strauss does a good job of combining NBA coverage w/ media coverage and sometimes touches politics, which I don’t enjoy as much.
Decision: Keeping it
Stein Line
Good basketball insider, he got me on an annual deal and it goes until Feb 2026
Decision: Keeping for now, though I just cancelled it and it won’t renew
Silver Bulletin
From Nate Silver, an election prognosticator who also does a bit of sports analysis and betting
A must-read for the election season, but not as much now. I’m ok letting this one go
Decision: Cancelled during the writing of this
Slow Boring
By Matt Yglesias, this is a political newsletter but is focused more on policy and its impact despite your opinion of the President in office
I feel more informed reading this and he often links out to other top-notch research
Decision: Keep
I became a media hoarder, gradually: one free trial, one annual renewal, one “sure, I’ll support indie journalism” at a time.
I’m trimming, not because I’ve become enlightened, but because I’m tired. Tired of skimming 3,000 words and retaining nothing. Tired of pretending I’m going to circle back to that incredible piece someone posted six weeks ago.
This is my version of digital composting. Some stuff stays. Some goes. Most of it wasn’t feeding me like I thought it was. Or maybe I’ll just re-subscribe in six months.
I’ve been trying to read more non-fiction books, to sustain an idea or thought longer than 3 minutes.
Either way, I feel slightly lighter.
Thanks for this, Josh, it reminded me to start my own digital purge!
Loved this evaluation and look into your mind!