Say so long to your neighborhood Strib newspaper rack.
Our colleague Paul Klauda posted on social media that, as of last week, virtually all of the metal coin racks or vending boxes that used to sell the Minnesota Star Tribune in the Twin Cities have stopped being serviced. According to a letter posted next to the box near him, our operations leaders say the decision was due to the nature of our business "changing and evolving" plus the fact "it's tough to carry that many quarters."
"That you could only see the top half of the paper behind the glass fed a long-standing journalism practice: Get the biggest news and strongest photo above the newspaper's fold," posted Klauda, who works as the nation/world editor. "Make those promos above the nameplate as compelling as possible. All to feed the idea of selling the paper, that it would be enough to make someone passing by reach into their purse or pocket, pull out a dime (way back) or quarter (early '80s), drop it in the coin slot, and walk away with the day's news. And in a remarkable bond of trust, while that door was open you only took one. Until now."
Don't worry. Retired racks can be repurposed into anything from Little Free Libraries to home statement pieces.
--Nicole Norfleet, Today Desk team leader
