Metro Philadelphia

Now that I’ve been back to being a regular Septa Commuter (as Marlon Brando would say «The Horror») I’ve had a good chance to revisit the Metro on a regular basis. and I can honestly say that it’s much more worse than Tabloid journalism than I previously thought.
it used to at least be amusing when I would see my friends pop up in the question/​answer column (especially when they did so under aliases). And it was especially amusing reading through the Unilocal review blurbs that would pop up every Thursday. And it had an interesting group of fledgling journalists who used to to keep it a little fresh with locally centered stories on bands, people, and things that you had reason to care about.
But today I read a cover story on overcrowding dumpsters on Sansom street and the entire paper stunk just as bad. they have the audacity to run things like a bullshit filled question/​answer column by one of the Septa big wigs were he talks about innovations that they have allegedly been working on for a few years now (new ticketing machines, etc) as if they where innovative ideas that they were working quickly on. and the tabloid celebrity sections actually manage to be worse than the usual ones because their much more half assed. And as you might have gathered from this summation is the fact that they don’t cover most that’s news worthy.
It still has somethings that are worth reading through, but unfortunately it’s pretty sparse. and that’s reason #237 why I usually bring a book with me where ever I go.

It’s McPaper.
It’s Metro
It’s easy to read
And there’s usually a Sudoku Puzzle toward the back.
I read it when I take the R5.

The Metro is like USA Today lite, so it’s like lite-​lite news. It is literally crumbs.
The only thing I like about it is the incredibly easy crossword puzzle, which makes me feel like a genius when I finish it. And if you’re surrounded by nosy stupid people, they will ooh and ahh over your mad vocab skills (this has actually happened to me).
Oh yeah, and it has Get Fuzzy, so I can’t totally hate it.

UGHHH THE WORST OF THE WORST
The metro is a disgrace to journalism. Typos, slang, and, probably, misinformation. I can’t see how such a poorly put together paper can be 100% credible. I used to pick up the Metro when I was in college and I would do the crossword and Sudoku in class. I would occasionally read snippets (which is all it is, dozens of snippets) and become disgusted and embarrassed for its writers. Even the stupid comic strip is awful. it doesn’t even make any sense!
The writing aside, the physical printing is a sham. It seems like more often than not, half of the paper has been printed upside down. And more than a few times, they’ve printed today’s crossword with yesterday’s clues or vice versa. I’m sure there are more misprints, but I can’t bring myself to read the paper for long enough to notice.
When talking about the Metro, I always quote my boyfriend, who once said, «Every time I read the Metro, I think I get a little bit dumber.»

Pro: It’s FREE.
Cons: The content.
A free distraction for the subway, bus, Regional Rail. It has some local news, an AP blurb or two, some music/​movies/​fashion page, and some sports. It’s not well written, well edited, or well read. It has a weekly Angelo Cataldi piece (horrible). And you can get through it in about 10 – 15 minutes. And that’s the genius of it. Most people ride the subway/​train for 20 minutes or so on average. It gives the person a bit of mindless reading for their trek.
And, apparently, Unilocal is having a feature in it. That can only help it out.

I don’t know why people diss the Metro. It’s FREE, it has blurbs on news events. Sure, it isn’t comprehensive, but at least you aren’t totally clueless on what’s going on in the world. What would you talk about when you are hit with watercooler conversation? Just nod your head, oblivious to what’s going on in the city and world?
There’s nothing like getting on the train, seeing a young person pick up the Metro with the headline that young R&B pop star Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash, and the look of absolute shock and dismay on their face. It’s unforgettable.

The Metro gave me something to do on the bus or train. I would bring a pen and play «circle the typos.» Then there was the article that made a reference to «see sidebar» but failed to include a sidebar on the page. My favorite article, though, began «This small town…» They interviewed residents about gay marriage, talked about the recent ruling, BUT NEVER NAMED THE TOWN. It wasn’t on purpose; the town had been in the news and it was no secret that they’d allowed gay marriage.
Metro isn’t any better in other cities, though I heard the NYC edition had a writer from the Daily Show on staff. In most cases, it seems run by recent college grads without any older staffers to show them the ropes, like how to hire a proofreader. (Yeah, I make typos all the time as well. But I don’t get paid to write my Unilocal reviews nor do I claim to be a professional.)
I eventually stopped picking it up at all.

the real difference between the metro and other mass media is that it is not a bunch of 40 somethings trying to write young. it’s run/​written by young people writing young.
it really does reflect what is going on in Philadelphia from the perspective of the people who are actually keeping it running and will be the decision makers of this town (those who think it’s quaint or funky enough to stay after they finish school)

The Metro, can we call it the «poor man’s paper»? It is free, probably sponsored by ads. Unfortunately, it’s left behind on the SEPTA /​NJ Transit railroads quite often. Free paper becomes litter. The fact that I don’t always get to catch the news on tv and Metro is free, it works for me.
I first saw this paper on a SEPTA R7 when I was riding the train to Trenton after moving to Philly about 4 years ago. I wasn’t sure what kind of paper it was back then.
It’s great if you want a summary of news and you will very likely be done with it in about 15 – 20 minutes. It seems a lot of the articles are reported by the Associated Press. It’s perfect for a ride from Torresdale to Trenton (approx 22 minutes ride). I usually take a quick glimpse at entertainment news and the horoscope. I only read the news if iI find it interesting. Some readers actually do the crossword puzzle and su doku. I don’t bother with crossword puzzle or su doku as my brain is not exactly functional at 6:00am or so (as I don’t have my java fix yet) and not when I have a hangover from the previous night. It also provide sports highlight. I still prefer to read the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NY Daily News or NY Post.
Metro also has a PDF version of their paper that you can download from their website. Very handy if you want to save an article electronically. No cutting and clipping away (which means no dirty hands).
To Metro, if you are reading this, please put in more articles related to Kylie MInogue! :D I think your last «article» on Kylie Minogue was on April 17, 2007. It’s September 2007 already.
+1 star — it’s free paper and it’s news in a «nutshell».
+1 star — it’s available as a PDF download online.
+1 star — Unilocal was mentioned on August 21, 2007.
Overall Rating: 3 stars

The Metro is a free, short newspaper that they basically distribute at the SEPTA regional rail stations. As a free newspaper, it’s got some inaccuracies, inane reporting, and misspellings, but what do you expect for something that is free? I only read it when I take the train and don’t bring a book to read, but I do enjoy getting a quick glimpse of local, national, and international news. It can’t replace the New York Times in my heart, and even the Philly Inquirer and Daily News are better (as far as quality and amount of articles), but for a free paper to read on the train, the Metro is pretty satisfying. It even prompts me to go online and look up other articles on the same topics or to bring up the Metro articles in conversation, so that means that I am learning something from it. And they wrote up a positive article about Unilocal,so we should give them some love back, right?
I can usually read the entire paper during the ride from Torresdale to Suburban Station, which is roughly 20 – 30 minutes in the morning. It’s the perfect length for that sort of train ride.
Just be sure to recycle the paper when you get off the train. They’ve got green colored recepticles in Suburban Station so you can recycle your newspapers.

I LOVE THE METRO. I am not going to even front. I am one of those people that check every Metro dispenser, hoping to find one. I even read the ones left on the bus. All of my information about what goes on in the world comes from
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and the Metro. I am not lying. Being a college student, its like I live in a bubble and the Metro helps me feel connected to the outside world. Rock on Metro!

I just recently found out that the Metro is a Swedish newspaper that has editions in like eight cities worldwide. This is a strange phenomenon to me. It’s not exactly mainstream journalism and sure as hell is not ‘alternative’ but it is, as its name indicates, mindless junk you read whilst on the subway. My favorite thing to do with the Metro is to see how fast I can finish the crossword puzzle (I average around 12 minutes, the time it took me to get from Temple to the Lombard/​South stop on the Broad Street line).

The Metro gets a solid 3 stars for the trusty crossword. I’ve been doing it for years – from high school home room to work when I «need a break.» You know, to clear my mind… between tasks… Yeah.
I don’t bother with anything besides the crossword unless I happen to be desperately bored AND without a writing instrument. Plenty of the «articles» in here don’t surpass 3 sentences, but they’re never short on celebrity gossip nonsense. I don’t know which is more annoying. And the section where they ask 3 apparently random individuals to respond to a question on current events – the quotes are often retarded, so we’re dropping another star. I do believe that a newspaper can be short & snappy without being as mindless as the Metro.

It’s amazing to me how often The Metro articles come up in daily conversations. One of my friends has a habit or centering his nightly conversations on whatever he read that morning.
As an avid reader of the New York Post, I have trained my brain to read this «mindless junk.» One thing I will say though, is the writers who contribute are recognizable by-​lines from some of the premier magazines on shelves… which is a great reflection of the writers’ community we’ve got here in Philly.
I’m a walker, so unless I hop on a surface train, I don’t read these often. Never in my life will I argue over free, solid, junk-​food journalism.

Everyday, while exiting the subway tunnel, a Metro «hander-​outer-​» BELTED, «Get your Metro! Get your DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY DAILY METRO!!!» I can hear the voice as clearly as my own.
It is nearly perfect for what it is made for… being read in 15 minutes. I used to take the R5 to and from the city everyday and The Metro was great for keeping my mind off of the upcoming workday. Unfortunately, because it is a small, daily paper, stories of the murder count were always prevalent… but no worries… turn the page and you will see pictures of Britney Spears and her bald dome.
Now that I I use my feet to commute I don’t catch up on The Metro, but it is great to grab before a train ride.