This is the week.
Our publication schedule is changing to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday distribution of the printed newspapers in Jacksonville, New Bern and weekly in Kinston (Thursday) while digital will be updated daily.
Why? In prior columns, I have mentioned the ever-changing media landscape. We are still new to owning the New Bern Sun Journal, Jacksonville Daily News and Kinston Free Press but we believe these proactive changes will send us in the right direction while operating our first year as stewards of your community.
I realize this change doesn’t sit well with some of our readers. We get it. Only out of necessity are we changing our print cycle. We need to position ourselves financially to sustain economic challenges. We also need to watch the bottom line as we develop plans to build staffing and improve content in print and digitally throughout the coming months.
Throughout the first two months, our staff, with limited resources, have put forth a tremendous effort to bring more local content to our readers than what was previously offered. We can’t thank them enough for their hard work.
To some, these changes are not a surprise. Many of you already only receive our printed products a couple of times each week or weekly by subscription choice. You are not alone. Community newspapers are aware of readership changes as well as more individuals finding us online and through digital channels.
We are also well aware of the challenges we face in delivery by carrier. Attracting and retaining carrier forces has been quite a challenge, especially for our distant remote subscribers. We believe delivery via the USPS next week will help with accurate and timely same day delivery of your printed newspaper. We, as well as many newspaper companies, have proven success delivering through the post offices in many of our markets throughout the country.
Is it different? It sure is. Could your newspaper arrive later than usual at your home? Your newspaper will arrive with your mail. This could mean later delivery depending upon when you receive your regular mail. However, as a subscriber, you can read it online at any time.
We ask you to welcome this change. Give it some time. We are committed to making these changes work so we can turn our attention to improving content, growth for our readers along with marketing opportunities for advertisers. All of this will take time. Not days. But weeks and months.
In the meantime, amenities that may have been removed are back on the table for the The Daily News. Things such as Letters to the Editor, Wedding Announcements, local columnists and all kinds of contributed content are welcomed to help bring the coverage you want when you pick up your newspaper. For those who would like to contribute content, please send it to Local News Editor Trevor Dunnell at tdunnell@newbernsj.com.
