The Daily Sun: A Real Paper?
 

There was an interesting thread in The Villages, Florida Facebook page yesterday regarding the tragic attacks in Paris and the coverage it received in The Daily Sun. The Daily Sun's Sunday edition contained a front page article on beer and wine making and followed that with numerous pages inside the front section about that topic. There was a small blurb on Paris on the front page and little coverage of the incident inside.

On one side of the discussion, posters were appalled at the Sun's decision to provide such little coverage to a brutal attack upon an ally nation, yet they spent many pages dedicated to beer making in The Villages. Most thought the beer making articles were interesting, but totally inappropriate on the day after Paris. Many thought that Paris should have been the banner headline and receive much coverage.

On the other side, posters argued that The Daily Sun is "not a real newspaper" and is fully within it's mission to provide us with the sunny side of The Villages life with only a small coverage of international news, including the Paris attack. Some seemed to feel that we should "chill out and enjoy our retirement" without worry about an international crisis or the editorial policy of The Daily Sun.

That raises an interesting question in my mind. I am one who believes that the Daily Sun missed the boat on their Paris coverage, and I would rather see a local paper that is actually a real newspaper providing us with detailed news from not only local but state, national, and international issues. Yes, I know that there are other options for newspapers and news sources that provide more detail, and I do subscribe to the Orlando Sentinel, watch CNN, and follow issues on various internet sites, but I'm curious about how you feel about our hometown Daily Sun.

(1) Is The Daily Sun a real newspaper with the obligation to provide us with in depth coverage of local, state, national, and international issues?

(2) Is The Daily Sun not a real newspaper with the mission of only providing us with information about The Villages and no responsibility to provide readers with detailed news from outside the bubble?

I acknowledge that both positions are legitimate if that is their stated mission, but what do you think?

Not a real. Newspaper it is an advertising medium for the developer

Everyone knows its a self serving feel gooder-to keep up the illusion of lala land.

Neither. It is a business run by individuals who decide what topics will be covered. People are not forced to buy or read the paper. Buy it if you wish. If you don't want to, don't. Newspapers are history lessons.

It's the Daily Sunshine Pumper and that's fine with me. I don't get national news from any newspaper. I get it online or on TV much quicker. If the Sun were to have dedicated 2 pages to the event, it would have been 2 pages of regurgitated information that most already knew.

OP, I was not aware that other papers were delivered in TV, so about what time does it (Orlando Sentinel) arrive (I like to read paper with my breakfast), how must does it cost?
Yes, I agree with above comments, I have to watch television (CNN and Orlando stations) to know what is really going on, and use cell phone with push notifications for breaking news.

Newspapers
 

I get the Sun and the Orlando Sentinel every day and the New York Times on Sundays only. They are all in my driveway when I wake up. I get my world news from The BBC they have less of an agenda than the American news outlets.

It is much more of a news paper than this rag up here in Cincinnati called the Enquirer. Our hometown paper is literally 2/3 the size per page and carries much less hard news than our paper in TV. Besides, where to you get a daily paper for 18 cents a day. Not here in Cincinnati, that's for sure

Agree. It is freedom of the press for those who can afford one. The developers own it or at least have a huge say in what goes in the Editorial decisions. Go to other news sources if you want wider coverage than the Villages. Frankly, I enjoy the departure from the "if it bleeds, it leads" policy found in many other papers and news sources.

The Villages Daily Sun also would not have access to any other stories on Paris unless they took a different approach like Villagers' memories of Paris, etc.

The Sentinel is on my driveway before 7:00 AM. I get it on Sunday and Thursday only.
https://myaccount2.orlandosentinel.c...nding=redesign

The Daily Sun has been discussed ad nauseum if you hit search above, you will find almost as many threads about it as dog poop and roundabouts.


The Daily Sun was owned directly by the developer and then sold about four years ago to a good friend of the developer. The developer rents his business the building and the equipment.


The Daily Sun covers a lot of what is happening in The Villages but if someone gets arrested, it never names names, or shows pictures or gives addresses, well hardly ever. If someone commits suicide it isn't printed and the editorial slant is conservative and the views are pro developer. It is the preferred advertising vehicle for the sales of new and used homes by the Morses and it might as well be still owned by them. It feels the same as before it was bought by Phillip Markham(?) I may have his name wrong.


It does have news feeds, almost always on the second and third pages of world news from decent sources but most of us have smart phones, computers and availability to watch TV all day and night if we want to, so a once a day summary is often old news when the paper comes out.


I used to read it every day but found in the last couple of years that I don't. I am pretty aware of what is going on in The Villages, been to all the parades once or twice and the events that are pretty much the same, but fun and new to new folks...and after a while most of us have chosen the activities that we enjoy. My husband enjoys The Sun still and reads the sports page first with his coffee in the morning.


Paper journalism everywhere is getting much less used..I thought I
would never say that.

There is not a thing wrong with the Daily Sun. It is a good conservative paper much like Ohio people grew up with.

With today's technology and multiple sources for news, sports, current events, etc, someone who cares to know what's going on anywhere already knows long before any print media informs them. With that being said, I'm fine with the Daily Sun being what it is. There has to be a little reprieve somewhere from the insanity... just my opinion.

I read different newspapers for different reasons--all of them online. I would enjoy getting the Daily Sun for TV news purposes only (the editorial slant is not my cup of tea), but they have yet to enter the digital age and offer paid subscriptions online. I wouldn't read enough of the printed version to justify wasting all that paper, or having to store, wrap, and recycle it.

On the other hand, when something as horrific as war, mass murder, etc., happens, I turn to the television because it is live information (albeit some of it is mere speculation).

So I think the Daily Sun is fine for purposes of informing Villagers about TV, but I wouldn't rely on it for in-depth political or world news. And I do believe they have the right to emphasize what they want, just as we have the right to read it or not.

I think it makes no difference whether it is a real newspaper or not. It is a business, and as such can publish its form of a paper. They are under no obligation to us. It is useful for local events information but I doubt you would get it for news. I understand that many of us, including me, are use to sitting down with a newspaper and our coffee. It's just that in our case, we have to find another source for news.