Dear TH Media Readers,

As you know, we’ve always been dedicated to delivering the most important news that impacts our community while helping our advertisers achieve great results. Our success in doing so comes from embracing change while staying focused on our mission to provide quality local information and services that help build strong communities. Just like the news is always evolving, we’re evolving too – today, we’re announcing a change to the print publication schedule of the Telegraph Herald.

Beginning Feb. 15, our newspaper will transition from printing six days per week to printing three days per week — specifically, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. 

This decision has not been made lightly. 

The evolving landscape of news consumption and the economic realities of print media have necessitated this change. This doesn’t mean there won’t be a “newspaper” seven days a week. We will continue to provide comprehensive coverage of news, sports and features throughout the tri-state area every day of the week in our electronic versions of the Telegraph Herald – a digital replica of the newspaper, as well as our website (www.telegraphherald.com).

We understand this won’t be easy for some readers. “There’s just something about the printed newspaper …” customers sometimes say. We get it. We love print, too. But our world is changing – dramatically, and has been for years. Already, thousands of TH readers have migrated from print to reading digitally. For those readers, this transition will pose no change. 

Over the past 15 years, the newspaper industry’s declining print advertising revenues and rising production costs have put significant pressure on the traditional print centric business model. At the same time, the shift in how readers consume news — favoring digital platforms — has played a major role in shaping our new approach. We believe that by adjusting our print schedule, just as hundreds of newspapers across the country have already done, we can ensure the longevity and sustainability of our local news coverage.

Recent information by the Pew Research Center on the way people consume news reinforces the trend of digital news consumption.  For example:

• 86% of U.S. adults at least sometimes get news from a smartphone, computer or tablet.
• 58% of U.S. adults prefer to get their news on a digital device
• 86% of U.S. adults ages 18-29 prefer to get their news on a digital device 
• 72% of US adults ages 30-49 prefer to get their news on a digital device
• 46% of US adults ages 50-64 prefer to get their news on a digital device
• 27% of US adults ages 65+ prefer to get their news on a digital device

Our reader data also supports this trend.  TH Media readers are currently spending an average of more than 56 minutes per day reading the electronic version of the Telegraph Herald.  And in total, we’re seeing over seven million page views each month of our digital edition.  

Clearly the movement of our readers, and adults across the country, is to get their news digitally.  Of course, we continue to value our print readers and this new plan allows us to strike a better balance of serving our print and digital customers.

When business trends change, responsible companies adjust their business model. That is precisely what we are doing – adjusting our model. The employee-owners at TH Media will continue to provide our readers with award-winning news coverage and our advertiser with unmatched advertising and marketing results. The only change is the platform through which this content is delivered.

 For more than 185 years, the TH has served this community, maintaining and expanding our mission and serving as a beacon of local leadership. Providing quality local journalism is Job 1. This change is a proactive measure to protect and preserve that commitment to community journalism. By focusing our resources more efficiently, we can continue to provide in-depth reporting and maintain our role as a vital source of information for our community.

Our dedication to providing comprehensive local news coverage remains steadfast. In addition to our printed and digital versions of the newspaper, our digital platforms will continue to deliver 24/7 updates, ensuring you are always informed of the latest developments in our community. We encourage you to visit our website, www.telegrapheherald.com, and follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with breaking news, in-depth stories, and exclusive online content.

If you are relatively new to the world of digital newspapers, I encourage you to give it a chance.  On a regular basis readers tell me they loved the printed newspaper and they never imagined themselves reading it on their phone, tablet, or computer – until they tried it.  Those same readers now say they could never imagine going back to reading a printed newspaper.  One of the many features they love about the digital version is they can “pinch” the text and make it larger which makes it easier to read.

Your support and loyalty have been the backbone of our success, and we are grateful for your continued readership, whether in print or digital, as we evolve with the changing world of news. Thank you for being part of our community and for your understanding as we navigate these changes together.