Holiday schedule leads into revamped N-R production

With Christmas on a Monday, News-Register staff will produce its Tuesday issue next week on Tuesday, Dec. 26, which will be delivered in the mail on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

The same schedule would normally be set for the New Year’s holiday. However, the N-R will begin its new publishing schedule the first week of January, to consist of e-edition-only issues published on Mondays and Wednesdays, and a print and e-edition on Fridays. The N-R will publish its first e-edition-only issue on Wednesday, Jan. 3, and assume the new schedule going forward.

Along with the change in schedule, the News-Register will change the size of editions to a Berliner format – between a broadsheet and tabloid format – that reduces the height of the product by about five inches, and doubles the amount of pages, and color capabilities, available for each section.

“It’s been a whirlwind for staff over the last several weeks as we prepare what I’m calling ‘the News-Register of the future,’” said Editor-in-Chief Ossie Bladine. “Placing more significance on digital publishing of news and information will change the pace for staff and readers. While the print product is changing from bi-weekly to weekly, the flow of published articles is going to increase.”

Bladine said a change in size is just one of many coming for the printed newspaper editions. Other changes include Viewpoints moving to the A section, Sports starting on page 1 of the B section and an increase in special features such as Vintage News-Register, games, comics and a new religion column to publish alongside the weekly “Places of Worship” advertising section. He added that all obituaries and legal notices will be published in the print issue, even if they are first published in an e-edition.

“Forcing such a major change to readers’ habits is not something we do lightly or without regard for our subscribers, especially those who have been supportive of community journalism for decades,” Bladine said. “But it became clear major changes are necessary to create a business model that is sustainable for a locally-owned and independent newspaper. One option, as many papers our size have done, is to significantly cut staff and drop to a once-a-week product with far less coverage of community news and features you can’t get anywhere else. We hope readers appreciate our willingness to forge ahead with the same level of coverage and professional journalism, albeit in a different delivery system, as they get used to the revamped product.”

New initiatives to increase revenue are being prepared, too, Bladine said, including a premium subscription option with additional benefits, new advertising plans that fit within budgets for small local businesses, and a partnership with the nonprofit Oregon Public Information Partnership (OPIP) to launch a pilot project that would enhance access to and publishing of public records and information.

Bladine encourages subscribers currently without an online account to sign-up for one at newsregister.com, or, if you need assistance doing so, contact Circulation Manager Connie Crafton at 503-687-1236 or ccrafton@newsregister.com.