Honestly, the stories i've ready about how difficult it is to cancel your NYT account are a contributing factor to why I don't subscribe. I love NYT, but if it's not as easy to cancel as it is to sign up then count me out.
I just subscribe to the local paper (LA times) and get my national coverage from their reporting. By the time you subscribe to the wapo, nyt, economist, wsj, atlantic, you are paying a huge sum a year on redundant coverage. Better to focus on local issues that are more likely to affect my life than the national soap opera anyway.