[Cathryn Crawford]

Depending on how much of a creep your teacher is, you might simply go to your teacher, explain your misgivings, and ask them for their advice. That way, you look like you are giving the decision over to them. Ask them to suggest an alternate paper/magazine.

Is that an option?

[prophetic]

suggestions:

If you own a bird then use the paper to line the bottom of the cage, If you own a dog then use it for picking up the litter, same for cat.

If you dont own a pet then see if you can secretly get a cancellation PLUS become an active writer to the editor to correct their usual biases - who knows they MAY actually print something you write.

[gaijin]

WSJ all the way!

Say something impressive, and I'll bet they let you off the hook:

"Well, teach, the best defense of the truth would be on the common market of free ideas, and I thought subscribing to this alternative source would invigorate debate and stimulate thinking..."

That sounds libby-ish, but spares you from reading stinking liberal drek, right?

[Fester Chugabrew]

What Cathryn said.

[Sparta]

A couple of things.

1) Is this course an elective? If so, just drop the course.

2) If this is a mandatory course, I agree with Cat, go to your teacher and explain your misgivings about the New York Slimes.

BTW: I recommend her blog site instead of the New York Slimes anyday of the week :D.

[lafroste]

I would lean towards getting the paper, but supplementing the BS found there with alternative news sources. Use those sources to compare and contrast what the NY Slimes says while pointing out obvious and egregious bias on the paper's part at every opportunity. If nothing else, you will hone your disernment for bias and drive your teacher nuts at the same time.

[July 4th]

If it's not just for US politics and government, the Financial Times is an option and has a cheap student rate. They have daily delivery across many parts of the US. It can be left-leaning, but its news coverage is nothing short of fantastic. It normally has a few pages on DC news and a few on EU news.

[Keyes2000mt]

Go to your teacher but she'll tell you that you need to expose yourself to different ideas. Then ask her why she doesn't require the rest of the class to subscribe to the Washington Times Weekly or at the very least the Limbaugh letter.

Odds are you'll still have to get the Times, but at least the hypocrisy will be clear.

[Fifth Business]

Unfortunately, getting an education sometimes involves buying and reading textbooks and other literature that you disagree with in part or in whole. When you get to college, it will get worse. I recommend you comply but read the material critically.

[gaijin]

You definately sound like you're going to college --probably a really good one.

I hate to be a wet blanket, but this is just the start of that kind of crap; at a good school those profs are fidgity and itching to help usher in a Worker's Paradise.

They just can't wait to slap the cuffs on us all --and on themselves...

[Newbomb Turk]

Go ahead and get the subscription. Then come back here and we will help you throughout the year to point out the liberal bias and you can use it to spark debate in the class.

I bet you won't make any friends with the teacher especially if you use what you learn here.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Back to you.

[Those_Crazy_Liberals]

Print it off the internet.

[mcenedo]

ask your moron teacher why you are forced to support an obviously biased fishwrap that had just admitted to fabricating major news stories. Tell him/her you'll be happy to do a report on the life and lies of the Slimes pulitzer prize winning Walter Duranty. Tell the morons that if there is an article that has to be read, it can generally be found on the Web. I don't believe a public school can "force" anyone to buy anything as biased as the Slime.

Even better, take the school district to court over this.

[John Robertson]

Comply. It sounds like it's not just a course requirement, but the course's raison d'etre. Despite its tarnish and its bias, it's still recognized by most as this country's "paper of record." And frankly, some of its cultural and arts coverage is among the very best.

You have been given an opportunity here: Read the paper, lead the discussions, steer the discussions. The idea that the paper is slanted is really not debatable--everyone knows it these days. Talk about how it was a once great paper, and it's still very "professional," of course, but here's how it went wrong. How could it regain its former luster--how did it lose it in the first place? Etc. Etc. Think of it as a grand opportunity to begin to pry the scales off the eyes off your classmates.

And yes, I'm completely series.

[doug from upland]

Tell him you get the news from your subscription to FR.

[Lancey Howard]

Tell them you want a newspaper with a lot more credibility than the NY Times has to offer. Tell them you want to get the NY Post instead. That's what I read every day.

[Consort]

Tell them you're too distraught over the firing of Jayson Blair to read the Times.

[Natural Law]

Disregard a lot of the crap on this site. One of the more important lessons to be learned at your age is to choose your battles wisely. My advice is to go along and buy the rag. Look at it and learn to differentiate between fact and opinion. The front page of the NYT will be full of prime examples. Watch how the BS propagates through put the rest of the main stream media and judge the news sources accordingly. This will serve you well the rest of your life.

[omegatoo]

If your objection is to financially contributing to the Times as opposed to actually reading it, I would explain that to your teacher, and offer to read whatever articles are assigned at the local library. That will mean extra work for you, though, because you'll have to follow through.

If your objection is to the class using the Times as a source, you probably won't be able to change that, but you could still approach your teacher about it and suggest other sources to be used as well. Be tactful and constructive.

Good luck in school this year.

O2