No Breaking News in your Sunday Print Newspaper? Here’s Why
By Rick Edmonds for Poynter
The No Kings protests on June 14 crystallized that something has gone missing in a great many Sunday print editions lately — breaking news.
Of course, you could read all about it in a timely fashion on the digital site of your local newspaper outlet later that Saturday. But many of those looking for a crowd estimate and the flavor of hometown rallies as they relaxed with the Sunday paper would come up dry.
No big deal, you may say. Audiences have mostly moved on to digital news. Those who haven’t yet would be smart to do so soon. Digital is not only more up-to-the-minute, it’s better in other dimensions — the number of photos accommodated, for instance, and the quality of their reproduction.
From a business perspective, though, in a notoriously challenging climate, consider:
Despite deep declines in print audience and advertising, the old-style presentation is a significant contributor to revenue and profits (if any). Only in recent years has digital financially pulled even or passed print at regional newspapers. Outlets’ commitment to digital transformation is no longer mere lip service, as it was for several decades. Best case, though, transformation has proven to be very slow work for legacy outlets. In the meantime, the print edition — especially Sunday’s — is key to keeping the lights on.
Two cost-saving moves have led to ever earlier deadlines. Many newspapers eliminated their pressrooms and now contract with remote printers. That leads to longish or really long (i.e, 200 miles) shipping routes to distribution points. Plus, capacity issues at the surviving plants can create a traffic jam for desirable press times. Early newsroom closings on Saturday are the norm for that group of papers.
A second economizing strategy catching on fast has an even more drastic effect on what does and doesn’t go in Sunday print editions — switching entirely to U.S. Postal Service delivery. Throwing papers in driveways in the middle of the night is no longer the attractive part-time gig it once was, so getting them to readers that way has become both expensive and unreliable.
A big downside is that switching to mail means what was Sunday’s big paper has now become a weekend edition. It’s targeted for Saturday delivery, though sometimes that rolls into Monday. Saturday breaking news is off the table. The weekend package closes midday Friday.
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