I love the volume of news and information that literally flows through my hands on my phone. I can quickly and easily catch up on world events as I wait in line was and commute to work. I no longer print out directions or make lists for groceries and errands. I just store it all in my phone and it’s available whenever I need it. And still, I miss the newspaper on Sundays.
That changed today when my first paper Sunday Times in many years was delivered to my door. Two key events in the last few months led me to re-subscribe to The Times.
The front page
In March, I saw the premiere of the documentary Page One at SXSW. I was enthralled by the process that The New York Times goes through every day to decide what goes on the front page of the paper the next day. And the premiere, we learned that The Times would be moving to a subscription model of some kind in order to save its financials. After years of all we could read for free, the company had to make the bold move to protect itself in these turbulent media times. And in that moment I felt I had to subscribe to help protect The Times too. It is too big, too important, to fail.
A diary of epic proportions
A few weeks ago I went to the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival to see Tim Hetherington’s Diary. Diary is his autobiography in film form. When he submitted to the festival, he had every intention of being there for the Q&A. Sadly we lost Tim in Libya this Spring as he was there covering the unfolding conflict. His close friend, James Brabazon, described Tim as “a light so bright you could steer your boat by him.” He was nothing short of a genius with compassion and heart, and he spent a good deal of his career in journalism working for The New York Times among other top publications. My subscription money supports work like Tim’s, and it’s the least I can do after all that The Times has done for me for so many years.
My Sunday morning
6 days a week you’ll find me reading as many articles as I can on my phone and my laptop, taking in world-class digital content from The Times thanks to my subscription. (All subscriptions allow for full access to all digital content.) And on Sunday mornings, I’ll happily be on my coach, CBS Sunday Morning on my TV, coffee or tea in hand, Phineas next to me, reading The New York Times in black and white.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
I love the volume of news and information that literally flows through my hands on my phone. I can quickly and easily catch up on world events as I wait in line was and commute to work. I no longer print out directions or make lists for groceries and errands. I just store it all in my phone and it’s available whenever I need it. And still, I miss the newspaper on Sundays. 
I really think that we should keep old style newspapers alive. And the NYT definitely deserves our money!
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Agreed, Maxim. I’m glad to be a part of it 🙂
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I’ve been thinking about doing this – I get their email newsletter and I have free access to the web site via a sponsor. But I didn’t take them up on their full app access deal, and I get annoyed when the app stops me and I have to pop to the web site. Love being able to read unlimited articles though 🙂 The WashPost isn’t what it used to be IMHO, and I like a lot of the Times (read much of it electronically daily) but I am hesitant to bring more paper and obligation into my house! Perhaps I will though, if only to support their good work. Fortunately I can get their paper ScienceTuesday section at work – still the premier science section in the country.
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It’s so worth it, MJ. I only subscribe to the Sunday edition so it costs me a whopping $2.50 / week. Best deal in town 🙂
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Christa,
Thank you: a terrific post, as usual.
I like rituals in my life too. Daily rituals can helps us to de-stress. Daily rituals help us to relax from the long road ahead and the one we have left behind. This is especially the case during the weekends. And Sunday, above all, is by far the best day of the entire week.
Despite the magic of technology, I still prefer to read newspapers in ink. There is nothing to beat a book in hand. I guess I am a bit old-fashioned that way, but I don’t find myself apologising for it.
We must keep these old-fashioned rituals alive, especially in a world where our reality has gone on-line. Sometimes, I still prefer the reality of nature rather than virtual reality.
Watching people trek through the woods on-line is very different from the actual experience of going on a hike by yourself or with friends. I prefer such real experiences. There is also something disturbing and unhealthy about spending so much time on-line. One thinks: it is about time to go out for a stroll and smell the roses and watch the clouds.
I like your Sunday ritual. It seems to fit you like an old, worn glove. More power to you. Enjoy your Sunday with NYT and delicious coffee.
Namaste.
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There’s something really magical about rituals, Archan. And I’m pleasantly and happily surprised that the ink from the paper doesn’t end up on my hands anymore. I find I get so much more out of a newspaper in paper form than I do in electronic form. I think it’s easier to scan, as well as easier on the eyes!
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There’s nothing like having the real newspaper in front of you, is there! I admire your appreciation for supporting newspaper publications. Even with the digital economy and the way we’re moving to getting news from our phones, I still find great comforat in reading my news from a tangible paper. My parents just recently stopped our family’s subscription to the Toronto Star paper, and my mornings are no longer the same. I miss scoping out the real news in hand 🙂 We’re looking into some other subscription options, but hopefully we’ll get those hardcopy newspapers back very soon
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I hope you get that newspaper back! I just subscribe to the Sunday Times in paper form and I just love it. So much easier to scan and take in the info.
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