Tampa Bay Times Reviews

by Bofodo

It’s a constant source of irritation to read the obvious biased left wing socialist leaning TBT. The constant bashing of our elected POUS is a constant reminder of the liberal and unfair reporters/editors who manage TBT. Our only recourse is to refuse to renew our subscription after 25 years, which is our intent. We’ll also encourage others to follow our lead. Journalism should be a fair representation of happenings, and biased presentations by TBT are so obvious, I am confident your publication is eventually going away. I can only hope for a new organization to produce a fair representation of the news someday.

by Conservativeorphan

Since the Tampa Tribune closed and the TBT became the only major newspaper in the Tampa Bay Area, half of our community’s opinions have been ignored and even trampled. Coverage is unbalanced and it is clear that TBT strongly favors the Democratic Party platform. Most articles and certainly columns prop up democratic candidates and attempt to take down their opponents. News is printed that has not been properly vetted, and conservative voices have been mostly silenced. That would be fine if the Tribune still existed, but when it was purchased and closed, it put the responsibility squarely on the TBT to be more balanced, fair and accurate - which has not occurred. Even Politifact will justify an inconvenient truth about a candidate or position that the paper supports, while affording the other side no such courtesy. Put Joe Guidry back on your editorial staff at least so many of us can hear at least on reasoned and nonpartisan voice.

by AGELESS21

I so miss having the paper delivered to my driveway daily. I like holding the sections and reading the ads myself and do not enjoy the computer format. Thank you for the crossword section on Sunday. I cut out the puzzles and answers and complete them throughout the week. The midweek Wednesday delivery issue is not really needed. My friends are afraid that when the virus has cleared, the Times will continue the computer format permanently, raise the prices, and put staff members and delivery employees out of work. Hope to see our Times go back to the original format very soon.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This opinion post is to be used only by the administration team to help while making decisions. It will not be published or used in any other manner.
Thanks to your staff for keeping so many people
aware of what is going on in our lives. Please take care to be fair and politically balanced in your coverage. Longtime Customer

by 222IndyGirl

First there’s the fact that the home page is one infinite scroll. Then there’s the fact that as you’re scrolling and scrolling, TampaBayTimes will suddenly reset in some way and force you back to a place close to the top of the page. (I am on the latest version, so no, this is not an issue to be solved by updating TampaBayTimes .) On a side note, what’s the deal with the 5-star review pinned to TampaBayTimes Store in which the reviewer is wondering why there are so many high-scoring reviews when TampaBayTimes itself is so bad (I agree with this reviewer that the Times itself is generally a high-quality news organization)? Is someone tampering with the stars? I gave 2 stars with this review, so if it shows up with more stars than that, there’s something fishy going on.

by Marezy 65

First we went from a home delivered paper paper to a digital subscription. We adjusted, although it wasn’t always easy to read due to wi fi issues.
Then Apple decided to change its operating system. Now it’s a major achievement to get the paper in a readable format. Getting the front page to appear requires many more steps than it used to. Certain comic strips are hardly readable because, e.g., Zits’s title block is so big that it makes the other frames tiny.
I feel sorry for today’s journalists and for Americans. Will journalists have jobs in a few years? Where will citizens get informed?
My husband loves the paper for its extensive investigative reports.
I would prefer more coverage of issues that directly affect me, as well as a broader picture of what is happening around the world.

by KatFlorida

I’ve been reading the times on my tablet and have really enjoyed it. For some reason I’m having problem with my Internet connection on my tablet and so I’m trying to read this on my phone. It does not come up in the usual format, newspaper page, I’m unable to access many articles in this format and I am not enjoying it. However I did really enjoy reading the newspaper on my tablet which was surprising to me since I really enjoyed the paper version and did not expect to enjoy the tablet.

by LittlecubRoberto

Sigh. What did the TB Times do this to TampaBayTimes? Did all the Tampa media stations hire the same company to do their iOS app? Compare the WFLA, and WSTP apps and you will see they are all the same. They all have the little Setting "gear" on the left side of the main screen followed by the notification "bell" on the right.
Having said that TampaBayTimes is considerably slower than the previous version. Which was nice and fast even with the ads. Hey, I like that the paper needs to support itself with ads. I am a believer in supporting the local paper and I like getting the paper at home.
But TampaBayTimes needs to be tweaked. Faster loading times and for St Petes sake change at least the main screen.

by Ex-super

I use to subscribe to the paper daily a few years ago, but quit doing so because I read it all daily, but my wife only cared about the sports. Therefore, I stopped the delivery. Then, you went to a hard copy on Wednesdays and Sundays only. Now, I pick up a copy each day at the store.
There’s truthfully not alot in it anymore. My wife has a realistic complaint-sports results aren't often in Sundays paper from the night before when the game isn’t over that late.
Guess that there will be no hard copies soon. What a shame!

by Colo Admin

TampaBayTimes works dramatically better than the e-reader for the print edition, but doesn’t let you add your paid account info to get rid of ads, and doesn’t have more than a lucky subset of the articles from the print edition. As a paid subscriber, I’m still left waiting for them to let me have the same news without having to be at home to get the paper.

by Pic&guy

I have gotten use to reading the on-line version with TampaBayTimes and it does have some advantages over the print version. However, one very significant problem. If TampaBayTimes closes, for any reason, it jumps back to the beginning of the paper when you reopen TampaBayTimes . If you were reading an article in the middle of the paper and got interrupted, you have to go back and find the article, when you reopen TampaBayTimes .
Most similar apps will reopen where you left off.
There are other minor bugs, but this is the most annoying problem.

by Ggg2340

But then there wasn’t much in the paper these days. This newspaper cut back so much you hardly see much news. With COVID a lot of people dropped subscriptions. It was better when this paper was up against the Tribune it kept both papers better. In hindsight it would have been wiser for the Tampa bay times to not buy out and kill the trib. People are too attached to the hometown newspaper, and the times would not be in so much debt. I don’t think it worked out the way they wanted. They killed off a paper with more than a century of history because of the times’ ego.

by BarryBHHS

I’ve been having issues since getting my new phone trying to log onto the website to read the “paper”. There’s no one to speak to for help. I’ve sent an email explaining my issues and have gotten no response . The auto attendant is not user friendly ans just hangs up you when your issue doesn’t fall within the scope of the recorders message . I’ve tried the route of “forgetting my password “ and it says it will send an email with a link to update password but the email never comes. I’m paying for a subscription now that I cannot use
So frustrating. Ans you can’t speak to anyone anymore

by SweetLo22

Great app with all my local news! The category tabs are easy to click and access. There is a variety of content inside each section. The quality of the stories and articles are updated and top notch. TampaBayTimes makes news on the go very convenient.

by RandyK29582

I love The TBT, and we are fortunate to have a world class newspaper right here at home. On the other hand, ever since the last update, TampaBayTimes crashes every time you try to open a story. No amount of removing and replacing TampaBayTimes , or hard reboots help. As several others have noted, it simply does not work. Maybe another update?

by Change In The Wind

Where are the PAGES devoted to professional women s sports? One would think we are living in the 1950 s.
Where are the podcasts and webinars that other successful newspapers are using?
Where r the email or social media addresses at the end of each article that would encourage subscriber participation and ensure not the survival of the TBT but it’s success. Letters to the editor are of a past era.
Where are the hypertext marketing links w every story which would enable, with the connected small advertiser marketing fee, allow the TBT to be very profitable.?
Let the TBT breathe the oxygen of a changing new age and keep innovating.
Joan Lander

by Thornyside

Count on the TBT to inform you of the stories that matter the most, with unbiased and a fair reporting on all sides of the issues. Holding the powerful accountable and keeping the government honest, when they can. They just need more investigative reporters, because there so much to cover. Help them out by subscribing to the paper. It’s your best hope for a better Florida !

by Jannie From Hudson

Hands down, the highest quality in Florida for decades, thats’s the Tampa Bay Times (St. Pete Times, in my mind)! From its coverage of the infamous 2000 presidential halting of the vote count, to fact-checking politicians’ claims, to great coverage of local stories, we can depend on the experienced reporting by TBT staff and editorial board opinions. Jannie from Hudson

by MoabBob

I have no idea how people can give TampaBayTimes 4 or 5 stars. They have to be plants. It is by far the worst newspaper app I’ve encountered. For starters, stories are displayed two or even three times when you open TampaBayTimes . Then, when you click on one of them (at least in iOS 12.1.2), TampaBayTimes simply closes. I have waited years for an update, but none has ever arrived. It’s a shame since the paper is excellent and I’d like to be able to read the stories. If only they’d hire some real developers, in addition to the fine journalists.

by Jayhawk80

I cannot overstate the importance of local news coverage. When many Americans now consider insipid Facebook post “news,” the Tampa Bay Times provides real local news.

They keep an eye on powerful institutions and report their success and failures.

We’re (TampaBay) lucky to have them.

by Many Studies

I’ve lived in cities with “not so good” newspaper so, so I’m thrilled to live in the Tampa Bay Area for the past 11 years’ and have the TB Times as my daily newspaper. I currently subscribe to multiple newspapers, and I believe the TB Times is as good as any of them, in spite of many of the others having a national audience.

by Mekaylasdad

After having my app on my iPhone for 6 years I recently updated and it is now unavailable unless I subscribe. It’s a shame that greed once again lends to the ruination of journalism. You’ll be out of business soon as so many others who lost the focus on providing the local population with a service that are parents and grandparents enjoyed.

by FLappleuser

The new format in most recent update is less intuitive than prior versions, and more difficult to browse. Also, since updating, I seem to get VERY frequent crashes of TampaBayTimes , at times, with inability to open and read many articles. Please FIX.

Addendum: As of January 2019, still horrible app. Crashes now EVERY time you go to open any article or any section. Cannot use app at all.

PLEASE FIX still!!

by Eremalla

I’m a subscriber so it would be nice to have full access to the newspaper content but TampaBayTimes seems to be only a sampling of stories. There is no search function, which is MADDENING. If you are looking for a particular story you have to scroll through the entire app hoping it’s there.

by Davidapex

Notwithstanding my opinion of Tampa Bay Times’ left wing agenda, TampaBayTimes is well done... One exception is the timeliness of breaking stories. It’s not like you have till 11pm to get it done as with the newspaper! Readers are on line all the time and expect the latest! Channel 8’s app is the best in Tampa Bay as far as delivering breaking news.

by Jai Ab

As a Tampa Resident, I loved TampaBayTimes, was one of the main apps on my home screen. Recent updates now only give me the first paragraph of the article. I don’t know why they did this. If they don’t correct quickly, will be deleting TampaBayTimes 😢.

by 1947golfer

I read it, think it, and speak it.
Honest news reporting about Tampa area plus statewide major news in Florida.
Several reporters write stories so well and interesting. TBT’s one shortcoming is its lack to report the amazing news about President Trump’s leadership and successes for Americans. Please TB, lose the bias.

by Smintonpr

I have to give thumbs up where credit is due and The Tampa Bay Times has really been doing a great job with reporting and keeping us all informed during this health crisis. TampaBayTimes works fine for me, providing me continuous updates throughout the day.

by Jim Sanchez, Tarpon Springs

More than ever I appreciate and depend on the truth and integrity in reporting I get from the Tampa Bay Times. Their unwavering commitment to these virtues, coupled with their outstanding reporting and editorial staff have earned my respect and gratitude, and have kept me a subscriber for over 20 years.

by BrianK316

Update: App fixed. Thank you. Rating of five stars now.

All of a sudden the news stories are only about four or five sentences and then the article ends. Please fix! In its current state it's useless as a news source.

by John Joseph Mercadante

Even though it was a bit after hours, I wanted to meet some of the staff for no other reason but to compliment them. I had a debate across the street and arrived early.

by Wreetir

The Tampa Bay Times is one of the few newspapers of its size that’s known outside its coverage area because of its devotion to quality storytelling. The tradition continues and we’re lucky to have this local paper!