Dear Cleveland Plain Dealer,

Dear Senior Editor of the Plain Dealer, You are disappointing two of your loyal readers more and more these days. Tell me please--to what story is this headline attached?  

No story. 

Sheer speculation. 

No substantiation. 

Seriously?  

In the last year, it has become evident that you rely more on image than text to communicate the news, or should I say,  your spin on events impacting our community, our country, the globe. 

Gone are the days when assumptions and hype were taboo. 

Now, your editorial decisions are based on what headline and image will sell more papers than on the depth and accuracy of reporting. 

Even the reading level has dropped two levels. 

Your paper used to be written at a 7th-grade reading level--

now 5th grade--

and that's the classified section!  

Full page color photos have replaced the excellent writing of former columnists and beat reporters, many of whom were Pulitzer Prize winners!  

And your Customer Service department, well, don't get me started!!!  

Quite honestly, it's only because of 

Crankshaft and 

Bizarro and 

John Funk and 

Ted Crow and 

a sentimental attachment to newsprint and ink that keeps us subscribing.  

Sincerely yours... 

Katherine Szerdy & Steven Szerdy, 

loyal subscribers