Star-Telegram to change print days, delivery method as digital transition evolves
I wrote stories using an electric typewriter when I started in the news business in the mid-1980s. It was tedious work without the “backspace” and “delete” keys that make life easier for us on computer keyboards.
I also have memories from that time of seeing the first cell phones. I recall someone carrying one around in a bag the size of a lunchbox.
Today, my cell phone fits in my pocket, and reporters can write and file stories from their phones, if necessary.
Just as technology has changed how we do things in this business, it has changed the habits and preferences of our readers and advertisers. Most people now use their smartphones to access news, for instance.
Today, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has far more digital subscribers than print subscribers.
The Star-Telegram’s future - in terms of delivering strong local journalism and in securing a sustainable business model to support that journalism - is in the digital realm.
Today, I’m announcing an important milestone as we continue our transition toward being a fully sustainable, fully digital local news organization. Beginning Oct. 7, the Star-Telegram will reduce print publication to three days a week.
Print subscribers will receive Wednesday, Friday and Sunday editions of the newspaper, and they will be delivered through the U.S. mail. (That means the Sunday edition will actually arrive on Saturday). The paper will also be available at select retail locations.
This change does not mean our newsroom is scaling back its journalism. We’ll still be reporting the news all day, every day, on our web and mobile sites, where we already have millions of readers in North Texas.
Why are we changing our print schedule? It’s all about the shift in reader and advertiser habits. We no longer have the economies of scale that supported the printing and carrier delivery of a paper six days a week.
As a longtime reader of print editions, a part of me is sad about this moment. And I know this will upset our dedicated readers of the printed paper. For that, I apologize.
But as someone who believes firmly in the importance of local news, I know this is a positive step toward ensuring the Star-Telegram’s future in our increasingly digital world. And I’m proud that our parent company - McClatchy, which publishes 30 news sites across the country - is taking this step as part of a proactive strategy toward sustainability.
In fact, our company has already tested variations of this plan in some of its smaller markets across the country to prove it out. This is a strategic move with an eye toward the future, not a reaction to a crisis.
In preparation for this move, we have made improvements to our online products. We’ve refreshed our homepage. We launched the Edition, a new curated reading experience with far later deadlines - and far more content - than the print edition. And the Star-Telegram’s mobile app makes it easier than ever to follow the news on your smartphone.
If you’re a die-hard print reader, I encourage you to begin exploring what we offer online. You’ll find so much more than what you see in print, and it will be more timely. And you’ll still find things like comics and printable puzzles, too.
The Star-Telegram has been a fixture in Fort Worth since 1906. A lot has changed over the last 118 years, but the commitment of our journalists to tell the story of Fort Worth and to be your watchdog is unwavering.
The work of Star-Telegram reporters - including those in our philanthropically funded Crossroads Lab - continues to hold elected and appointed leaders accountable. Their stories consistently help set the public agenda as they inform and engage people around issues important to our future. Some recent examples include:
Anne and Dale Smith had been trying to get the attention of the North Texas Tollway Authority for months about more than $1,000 in tolls they were wrongly charged. They hit brick wall after brick wall. Then reporter Noah Alcala Bach got involved, and the situation was resolved in a day.
Education reporter Silas Allen, a member of our Crossroads Lab, brought attention to a disconnect that often exists between the grades parents see on report cards and how their kids do on state tests. Part of the problem was the difficulty parents had in accessing information about their child’s scores on state tests. The Fort Worth school system eventually improved its parent portal, providing easier access to that information.
Investigative reporter Emily Brindley gave voice to people who said they’d lost more than $1 million in a car-flipping scheme. Brindley shared their frustrations over an inability to get justice or their money back.
Thank you for supporting this kind of powerful local journalism with your subscription and readership.
In the coming days, subscribers will receive correspondence from our customer service team regarding next steps in this transition. The team can be reached at 800-776-7827.
