RIP BostonNOW: Free Daily Bites the Dust
One of the first things I look for when I travel to a new place is a newsstand or sidewalk newspaper boxes in order to get a clearer picture of what’s going on locally. There’s nothing more useful in that regard than the newspapers and other publications created by and for the people who live in the relevant area.
Effective immediately, as of today, Boston residents and visitors will have one less such publication at their disposal in the Hub. And, sadly, it didn’t cost a cent, despite being available what seemed like everywhere, around the clock — or at least until copies ran out. I’m talking about BostonNOW.
According to the newspaper, which was published each weekday since its April 17 launch in 2007, the very last issue was the one that circulated on Monday. The BostonNOW website clarifies that operations were forced to discontinue because of “deteriorating economic conditions.”
An Associated Press article about the closure in the Boston Herald, which has its own write-up, offers additional details, including that the reason for the abrupt shutdown is the “tough economic conditions its primary investors face in Iceland.”
Wherever and whatever the actual cause, it’s always disappointing to witness the failure of yet another print publication, although I do have to admit that I found the paper’s integration of blog posts with staff articles disconcerting. The practice seemed more like free labor than spreading the voice of “the common people” to me.
In any case, some readers appreciated the blog aspect of BostonNOW. And, I’m sure many people, commuters especially, will miss having another free newspaper to help lessen the boredom of traveling back and forth in Boston and its environs. Fortunately, Metro Boston, BostonNOW’s closest rival during its nearly one-year run, is still here … for now.
Tags: boston, bostonnow, massachusetts, new england, newspapers, shutdownRelated Stories
POSTED IN: History & Information
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