A local newspaper is outsourcing its printing services as the industry strives to remain relevant in a 24/7 news cycle.
The Daily Gazette has been printed in Schenectady since 1894. Publisher John DeAugustine has announced that the Gazette, The Recorder, and The Leader-Herald newspapers will be printed at the Springfield Republican Printing facilities in Massachusetts. DeAugustine said it was a purely business decision.
DeAugustine stated, “Our problems here in Schenectady do not concern our journalists or our ability to even deliver our newspapers.” It was the equipment we had in the office. We have presses, mailroom equipment, but no postal inkjet machines, which would let us mail newspapers. And the capital expenditure that we would need to invest to automate it or to just keep up. The cost of printing newspaper became prohibitive for our building. The cost also increased when we exceeded 20 pages. When we spoke to the people in Springfield, we found that they had a lot of equipment, and more modern equipment, than we do here in Schenectady. They were also able to provide us with a superior printed product. “And at a significantly reduced price.”
DeAugustine claims that the newspaper is in the “best financial position it’s ever been in 15 Years” and wants to keep it this way.
In Glens Falls in the north, the Post-Star has announced that it will be switching to a new publication schedule on July 11. The paper will be published on Tuesdays Thursdays and Sats by Iowa-based Lee Enterprises. A digital edition will complete the week. The paper will be delivered by mail via the U.S. Postal Service.
Speaking on WAMC’s Media Project, former Daily Gazette editor Judy Patrick says newspapers facing declining revenues in the digital age have to make tough decisions.
Patrick explained that “many of the newspapers owned by Lee Enterprises (which owns 77 papers across the nation) are cutting back their print schedules to only three days per week.” “The US Postal Service is taking over the traditional newspaper delivery. No longer will paper boys deliver the papers, but instead, car-based carriers. This all happens in July and it affects most of the dailies that are part of Lee Enterprises. “Some of the larger dailies still have seven-day coverage.”
DeAugustine said the Gazette’s print calendar won’t be changing. “We don’t plan to reduce the number of days we publish.”
Outsourced printing, he says, will not affect delivery or cause any other problems. The Gazette is changing with the times.
DeAugustine stated, “The most significant challenge facing us is the inflation in consumables such as inks, plates, newsprint and all of the other items we use to produce our newspapers every day.” It’s forced us to look at every newspaper we produce. But I cannot speak for these newspapers, because we do not cut production days. I am sure that some of these decisions were influenced by this. On the other hand, I know you talked about the 24 hour news cycle. What we are seeing in the industry, specifically with the Gazette and some other newspapers like the Gazette is that people are willing to pay online for subscriptions. So digital only. For a long period of time, it was difficult to convince people to switch. Now, this is much more common. There are small community papers all over the nation that sell more digital subscriptions. The Gazette is not yet there. We are growing our digital subscriptions. That means investment. “We hire more staff and put them in the newsroom.”
DeAugustine said that the paper would let go 32 employees as a result moving its print operations to Springfield. Their last day will be on July 22nd. He claims that they will receive severance payment and be assisted in finding new jobs.