THE NEWSPAPER
While many other newspapers are losing circulation, our readership continues to grow. But the economy has not been kind. Like virtually all businesses, we're feeling the pinch.
The irony is that the future should be bright for the communications industry. Indeed, you can make a good case that Americans have never needed a credible editor more than they
Thanks to technological innovations, the average person is flooded with information--over the air, on portable communications devices, from the computer and, yes, on the printed page.
But how do you make sense of it all? What edited summaries and reports can you depend on in an age of information overload? That's where good communications companies come into play.
So how are we at The Free Lance-Star planning to meet those communications needs?
Here are a few of our initiatives:
A year from now, our new, state-of-the-art printing facility will be up and running. That new press will enhance the quality of our print product, while also giving us far more opportunities for color.
Because the new press will be so fast, we will be able to print later news and get the paper to early-risers even earlier.
When we do need to consolidate sections during times when advertising demand is lower than normal, we will do so in ways that preserve the key features that readers have come to enjoy.
For example, our "it!" section for youth recently migrated from inside Weekender in the Thursday paper to the back of the Friday Life section. That saved us the cost of some newsprint, while preserving the core of our youth product.
Selectively reducing the size of the paper in ways that will help us save on newsprint, while also preserving jobs, is also why you'll find the TV listings, advice columns and comics inside the Thursday Sports section. (Apparently this change has presented an interesting marital test for some readers, as spouses battle over who gets which section first.)
The coming year also will be a time of creativity and innovation for us on the Web. In addition to the local news and features you've come to expect, there will be an array of new customer-friendly options to make fredericksburg.com a must stop for those wanting to make decisions on everything from which restaurant to patronize to which plumber to call.
We also will soon debut a new e-edition of The Free Lance-Star, which will be available on a subscription basis. That online paper will allow users to "turn" the pages virtually, just as they do now with the print version. They will be able to read the entire paper from anywhere in the world.
The toughest challenges of this demanding economy have been the decisions over the past six months to reduce staff. Those reductions, which include the loss last month of 19 positions, still leave our company with the equivalent of almost 300 full-time employees.
The staff losses, the first in our history, are far less than at many newspaper companies. But they are still devastating for the people directly involved and for all the rest of us
Our greatest tribute to them will be to continue to put out products that reflect the commitment and excellence that they have helped us to achieve.
Ed Jones: 540/374-5401
Email: edjones@freelancestar.com