It is a strange time to be in the newspaper business. Changes are coming within the industry fast and furious. Major adjustments are coming within the Maine newspaper community.
As some of you may be aware, less than two years after being sold to the Maine Trust for Local News, several of the 17 weekly newspapers acquired in the sale will cease print production. In addition, other printing changes will be coming to some of their other papers.
While it is nice to see that these areas will continue to be serviced by local journalists through online methods, a newspaper is a tangible product, one that can be held, read, and enjoyed. This announcement made by the trust, details the end of production for 10 publications: the American Journal, Lakes Region Weekly, Scarborough Leader, South Portland Sentry, Courier in Biddeford, the Kennebunk Post, and the four papers within the Forecaster group. The significance of the loss of these newspapers cannot be overstated.
According to the announcement from the Portland Press Herald on March 4, six other papers will switch to be published every other week. The Advertiser Democrat, Bethel Citizen, Franklin Journal, Livermore Falls Advertiser, Rangeley Highlander, and Rumford Falls Times will continue to print but with half the number of editions.
Another change is announced for a paper that we have shared a long history of cooperation with advertising bundles. For over 50 years, three separately owned papers have had an advertising share agreement, between The Lincoln County News, Boothbay Register, and the Times Record, which will drop to a once-a-week publication, coming out on Fridays, the previous daily had been publishing twice a week.
With all these changes happening close to home, we felt this was an appropriate time to launch an initiative aimed at presenting our roadmap to the future for the LCN, and let readers and the broader community know the best way to support local journalism in the area.
Over the next few months, we will be sharing information about different aspects of the business. We plan on being transparent with how the paper is run and what it takes to deliver the news the way we do it now. We will also outline how we want to grow with the community.
As an example of costs, a 28-page Lincoln County News contains approximately 12 cents of newsprint, and it takes 19 cents to mail a copy within the county. There is another roughly 40 cents that goes into production, ink, plates, inserting, production labor, and labels. This comes up as a hard cost of about 71 cents for each paper produced and mailed. That only leaves about 15 cents left to help pay for the local journalism for each edition for an in-county subscription.
While this may seem like a decent margin, all of the subscriptions added together do not even cover the salary costs for one reporter. Journalism is one of the most important aspects of a community newspaper, and it isn’t free.
Newsstand single copy sales are pretty similar. While 19 cents are saved by not paying the post office, 20 cents are provided to the merchant. The vehicle maintenance and fuel costs come close to the mail preparation effort.
As we break down different aspects of our business, a trend will appear. Advertising is what allows the newspaper to cover all the events, be present at town meetings, and act as the paper of historical record for the community.
What we hope will emerge from this effort is a consistent message that our ability to bring you the news each week is tied to relationships that are developed within this community. Our ability to connect with you is one aspect. More importantly to our future is our ability to foster the relationship between you and the local businesses and organizations that support the paper as advertisers.
It is reinforcing this community bond that will help keep your newspaper in print well into the future.
