What a fun behind-the-scenes look at the history of the LA Times and the transitions the paper has gone through. I used to love getting a weekly paper but now I read everything online (further contributing to the decline of newspapers, I suppose). I used to get the NYT on Sundays, but they haven’t brought back the Travel section, which was my favorite, so I switched to digital. I can’t wait to try the Caesar salad recipe - sounds perfect with lobster and Prosecco for Valentine’s Day! And maybe some homemade sourdough bread ;)
Ruth, I was a loyal subscriber in the early 80's when I lived in LA. I loved the food section. so many of my recipes came from there. I remember a comic strip in that section with a chef who gave recipes in 4-5 panels. I still have one for cornbread muffins. He said to put a jalapeno in one of them to surprise your friends.
Here in Denver, we are down to one daily paper. And if they continue to treat their customers poorly, we will soon have none.
This is such an interesting piece of writing and reflects the situation here in Australia. Our Saturday paper used to keep me reading the whole weekend. Now it can be dispatched in a sitting or two.
I also loved the photo of those tearooms - such a bygone era of elegance. And I'm going to try that Heavenly lemon pie. Yum.
It is interesting to know your past connection to a newspaper Ruth! The decline of newspapers seems a universal affliction. While a comparatively small metro area, we are still blessed with two viable newspapers in the Twin Cities. I still enjoy the Minneapolis Star Tribune and we still have a food section which I always enjoy. The St Paul paper is now Gannett so kind of a mini USA Today while the StarTribune maintains an independent style. I guess we should enjoy it while we still can. My sense is the Twin Cities is the exception to the rule with still a loyal and broad readership base. I would imagine there are not many metro areas with two well-staffed and sensible newspapers. As a fan of the NY Times, it is hard to imagine that even NYC mixes in mostly tabloid nonsense in lieu of the Times. Although not related to your topic I recently enjoyed the Toronto Star -- it remains a well constructed newspaper. I wonder how much longer such papers will remain?
What a saga! Heartbreaking and humorous (that restaurant advertorial!), you’ve captured the heyday of print journalism and the tragic loss of a legend.
(Side note: I dreamed of getting a gig at the Times while dutifully attending j-classes at Long Beach State in the early 90s. Had I ever fully pursued that career, I’d probably be on the unemployment rolls today...)
Thanks, Domenica. Good to hear from one who knows. So sorry to hear about the Baltimore Sun, one of the great old-line papers. My husband was also in the business as a reporter for more than three decades and just left a few years ago after several agonizing years of buyouts, layoffs and unpaid furloughs (at Gannett-owned USA Today). He says he wishes he’d left earlier, but it’s hard to leave a job you love that’s part of your identity, your mission, your security. It’s very sad. Alden tried to buy Gannett also. The company that eventually bought it in 2019, Digital First Media, immediately started “targeting inefficiencies” by laying off people and rewarding its CEO with a high salary and stock incentives. Gannett stock has apparently plummeted 70% since then. Its board doesn’t include anyone with a journalism background. And so it goes.
So glad you enjoyed the piece, Julia, and thanks so much for sharing your experience of enjoying weekend newspapers. It’s always fun to read papers when we travel and discover stories—and recipes—I never would see here. It’s another reason why I also love reading blogs from writers like you who live outside the U.S. and experience foods, cultures, climates and lifestyles different from mine. Thanks again for your comment.
As a former newspaper reporter (whose husband is still in the business) this piece hit home. Newspapers have been in decline for a long time, but what’s happening now—the hollowing out of these institutions by companies like Alden Global or billionaires with no News experience and a completely different set of priorities is beyond disheartening. The founder of ultra-conservative Sinclair News just bought the Baltimore Sun. Another one bites the dust. I do miss the days of robust local food sections published by papers all over the country.
I loved reading about your newspaper experiences Ruth. I used to enjoy a couple of hours on the weekend sitting with the newspapers, you always ended up stumbling across something you wouldn’t necessarily have found otherwise. While we were away recently we ended up buying various English language newspapers we don’t have access to here and I particularly enjoyed the weekend editions and their food sections. I ended up bringing home a few articles and recipes which caught my eye. Like most people I now read my newspapers online, but it really isn’t the same!
Fascinating piece, Ruth, especially since you were a first-person witness to happenings at the LA Times. Sadly, many of us don't even have local papers to cover town hall and school board meetings. It is not a good trend!
I grew up in a household that read the morning and evening newspapers every single day. When I moved to Texas and lived in an apartment, I never signed up for a print subscription, but until then, I did what I thought what everyone did and read a print newspaper every day. lol I don't like reading the newspaper online, but I do have a subscription to the NYT and WP so I can read what I choose to read.
What a fun behind-the-scenes look at the history of the LA Times and the transitions the paper has gone through. I used to love getting a weekly paper but now I read everything online (further contributing to the decline of newspapers, I suppose). I used to get the NYT on Sundays, but they haven’t brought back the Travel section, which was my favorite, so I switched to digital. I can’t wait to try the Caesar salad recipe - sounds perfect with lobster and Prosecco for Valentine’s Day! And maybe some homemade sourdough bread ;)
Ruth, I was a loyal subscriber in the early 80's when I lived in LA. I loved the food section. so many of my recipes came from there. I remember a comic strip in that section with a chef who gave recipes in 4-5 panels. I still have one for cornbread muffins. He said to put a jalapeno in one of them to surprise your friends.
Here in Denver, we are down to one daily paper. And if they continue to treat their customers poorly, we will soon have none.
This is such an interesting piece of writing and reflects the situation here in Australia. Our Saturday paper used to keep me reading the whole weekend. Now it can be dispatched in a sitting or two.
I also loved the photo of those tearooms - such a bygone era of elegance. And I'm going to try that Heavenly lemon pie. Yum.
It is interesting to know your past connection to a newspaper Ruth! The decline of newspapers seems a universal affliction. While a comparatively small metro area, we are still blessed with two viable newspapers in the Twin Cities. I still enjoy the Minneapolis Star Tribune and we still have a food section which I always enjoy. The St Paul paper is now Gannett so kind of a mini USA Today while the StarTribune maintains an independent style. I guess we should enjoy it while we still can. My sense is the Twin Cities is the exception to the rule with still a loyal and broad readership base. I would imagine there are not many metro areas with two well-staffed and sensible newspapers. As a fan of the NY Times, it is hard to imagine that even NYC mixes in mostly tabloid nonsense in lieu of the Times. Although not related to your topic I recently enjoyed the Toronto Star -- it remains a well constructed newspaper. I wonder how much longer such papers will remain?
What a saga! Heartbreaking and humorous (that restaurant advertorial!), you’ve captured the heyday of print journalism and the tragic loss of a legend.
(Side note: I dreamed of getting a gig at the Times while dutifully attending j-classes at Long Beach State in the early 90s. Had I ever fully pursued that career, I’d probably be on the unemployment rolls today...)
Wow! Wonderful writing, Ruth! I’ll be returning to this piece later. All good things for your day.
Thanks, Domenica. Good to hear from one who knows. So sorry to hear about the Baltimore Sun, one of the great old-line papers. My husband was also in the business as a reporter for more than three decades and just left a few years ago after several agonizing years of buyouts, layoffs and unpaid furloughs (at Gannett-owned USA Today). He says he wishes he’d left earlier, but it’s hard to leave a job you love that’s part of your identity, your mission, your security. It’s very sad. Alden tried to buy Gannett also. The company that eventually bought it in 2019, Digital First Media, immediately started “targeting inefficiencies” by laying off people and rewarding its CEO with a high salary and stock incentives. Gannett stock has apparently plummeted 70% since then. Its board doesn’t include anyone with a journalism background. And so it goes.
So glad you enjoyed the piece, Julia, and thanks so much for sharing your experience of enjoying weekend newspapers. It’s always fun to read papers when we travel and discover stories—and recipes—I never would see here. It’s another reason why I also love reading blogs from writers like you who live outside the U.S. and experience foods, cultures, climates and lifestyles different from mine. Thanks again for your comment.
As a former newspaper reporter (whose husband is still in the business) this piece hit home. Newspapers have been in decline for a long time, but what’s happening now—the hollowing out of these institutions by companies like Alden Global or billionaires with no News experience and a completely different set of priorities is beyond disheartening. The founder of ultra-conservative Sinclair News just bought the Baltimore Sun. Another one bites the dust. I do miss the days of robust local food sections published by papers all over the country.
What a packed full inventory of LA Times. What a history you were a part of.
I loved reading about your newspaper experiences Ruth. I used to enjoy a couple of hours on the weekend sitting with the newspapers, you always ended up stumbling across something you wouldn’t necessarily have found otherwise. While we were away recently we ended up buying various English language newspapers we don’t have access to here and I particularly enjoyed the weekend editions and their food sections. I ended up bringing home a few articles and recipes which caught my eye. Like most people I now read my newspapers online, but it really isn’t the same!
Oh, Ruth, what an amazing piece of writing! Seeing what happened at the Times through your lens is really poignant.
I laughed out loud at ‘tender breast of children’ …
How wonderful that you are testing recipes for Leah!
You’re a brilliant writer and cook, my friend! ❤️
Fascinating piece, Ruth, especially since you were a first-person witness to happenings at the LA Times. Sadly, many of us don't even have local papers to cover town hall and school board meetings. It is not a good trend!
Yet another wonderful, thoughtful piece..Thank you for it. Your pieces always
are. BTW. The chocolate hamantashan I sampled were great.
I grew up in a household that read the morning and evening newspapers every single day. When I moved to Texas and lived in an apartment, I never signed up for a print subscription, but until then, I did what I thought what everyone did and read a print newspaper every day. lol I don't like reading the newspaper online, but I do have a subscription to the NYT and WP so I can read what I choose to read.
We lived in and loved LA for well over a decade from 2000 and the LA Times Food section (and Jonathan Gold’s reviews) were an inspiration, Ruth