Personal Media Inventory

A preaching proverb states that a pastor lives out her call with a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in another. After two months working with an iPad, everything I read can be in one hand, but I can't completely let go of paper.

My late Granddad (a career journalist/journalism executive) and I used to check in with each other regularly about what kinds of publications we were reading, and what we observed about that particular publication. Not so much about the content, but that publication's place in journalism as a whole. Granddad would have admired the aforementioned proverb.

Without my Granddad around, I miss that check-in, but I will take my own media inventory and share it with you.

Paper Media

The Economist--
The lack of by-lines on news story analysis has always bugged me, but the columnists rate among my most valued. Lexington comes at American politics as someone invested in the American Experiment, but with enough distance for a refreshing perspective. Charlemagne is also top notch. Their iPad subscription service is cumbersome. Once my print subscription runs out, I may give it another try.

The Christian Science Monitor--
I admire how CSM shifted to weekly from daily publication a few years ago. The passing of Daniel Schorr leaves a hole in their political commentary to this day. I love how their coverage isn't completely driven by wars involving Americans. This is where NPR and most American media fails. I don't mind war coverage, it doesnt have to dominate it.

ESPN The Magazine--
A guilty pleasure--this magazine combines great writing, unorthodox sports coverage (far better than their TV sports journalism sibling) and information laid out in a variety of methods. It has an odd skateboarder/extreme sports ethos that may be distracting to some, but the writing and research beats Sports Illustrated hands down in my opinion.

From my iPad--

I love Google Reader. It's about the only thing outside of maps and search I use from Google--and I would give up the other two to keep Reader in a heartbeat. I don't use reader as a news outlet per se, but the collection of blogs serves as the topics I used to turn to in the newspaper.

I subscribe to too many blogs to list here, but here are my regulars:

Digital Ministry: Justin Wise (bedeviant.com); Church Marketing Sucks

Slices of life in Seatle: Seattle P-I The Big Blog--Sometimes local, sometimes national news, but from a Seattle perspective.

Top Seattle Mariners Bloggers: USS Mariner, Lookout Landing, ProBall NW, SoDo Mojo

Religion Dispatches, Tribal Church

iPad-specific content:

The New York Times delivers some slick content here, but most of it is hidden behind a pay wall--except for Top Stories. I find it to be the most pleasant reading experience on the iPad, and they've almost lured me into a subscription. I remember the days I had it delivered to my house in college in Lawrence, Kansas, not always arriving in tact or in good time.

Tell me about some items on your personal media inventory. What are you reading? How do you connect with the world through reading?





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:S Pine St,Tacoma,United States