The following was written by Rudi Alcott, publisher of the Courier-Herald:
What a difference 60 days makes, huh? March roared in like a lion, multiplied and left as a full-blown pride. I am not sure this is how this little proverb is supposed to be written but that is indeed what happened. In with it came changes to our lives and lifestyles that I am sure has had as much of a profound affect on you as it has me. Our species, though, is a resilient group. We will regain our normalcy, our spirit, and the drive to rise from this pandemic even stronger than we were.
In our corner of the business world, this has been an interesting time. Our readership and web views are at an all-time-high. In my better than 20-plus year career in the news industry, I can’t recall a time that we have been more valuable to our readers than we are now, yet like so many other small-to-medium sized businesses in America, have found it very difficult to survive financially. To me, this is the dictionary definition of irony. However, I have always been a firm believer that out of something bad comes something good. This is one of those times.
During our state’s shutdown, we had to temporarily suspend some of the printed products and use the web as a more cost-effective means to distribute our news content to you. While we were doing this, behind the scenes we were reinventing what Sound Publishing would look like once the pandemic is over. You are now seeing some of those changes.
We have decided to change the format of the Courier-Herald to a broadsheet. This was done for a couple of reasons. One, it is a more traditional newspaper look. The page size is bigger which allows us to display pictures, art, ads and news articles in a wider variety of ways that is quicker and easier to digest. Second, it is more in line with our current press configuration and is therefore more efficient. This allows us to control waste, and press setups are easier leading to additional savings which we can then put back into our local news content.
Over the coming weeks you will see additional changes such as more local news reporting, local columnists, both new and returning, and the continued in depth local coverage of COVID-19 as it continues to work its way through the fabrics of our lives.
On the business side, our newspapers are very community-focused. We are tied to Cole Street just like the local mom and pop organizations you visit regularly. To help them regain their foothold, we have set aside up to $200,000 dollars to be used as a grant so that they can inform you of their plans, sales and reopening dates. This is not something we had to do; it is something we needed to do. More than ever, these community institutions need our help. More than ever we need to help them. Additional details of this program can be found online at soundpublishing.com/grantapplication.
Welcome to the new normal. Please contact us should you have any questions or comments about news, delivery, advertising or just to stay hello.
