Whatchamacolumn: Readers skipping E-editions are missing news
Newspaper-related work constantly tethers us to computer and smartphone screens, so browsing our tri-weekly N-R e-editions has become second nature.
Not so, unfortunately, for many of our newspaper subscribers. We understand their reluctance — or technological challenges — for engagement with websites and e-editions, but we also know they are missing out on a lot of interesting and enlightening local news.
We still are devoted to “print.” Our Friday News-Register, printed, digitized and mailed to thousands of local households, is standard-bearer for our commitment to timely publication of community journalism, civic journalism, watchdog journalism and public forums. We augment Friday’s publication with stand-alone e-editions on Mondays and Wednesdays, combined with updates of individual stories displayed on a 24/7 website.
It’s no secret that community newspapers, in Oregon and nationwide, are financially challenged to continue publication in any form. Thousands of them have closed in the past 20 years; general membership in the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association during that time declined from 97 to 57 newspapers.
It’s a real conundrum trying to predict the future of newspapers. Younger generations seem more likely to connect with digital information, but perhaps less likely to embrace traditional community newspaper content. Meanwhile, none of that will matter unless newspaper owners learn new ways to sustain even online-only community journalism.
That’s just a small sample of office-talk at newspapers these days likely. While we keep searching for solutions, consider some stories you missed in July by not reading our stand-alone e-editions:
- Features about the lives of Bernie Turner, Kathy Oriet and Rick Olson … the reopening of Nick’s Italian Café … and a lively Fourth of July article by new N-R intern Jillian Boenisch.
- News stories about Doris Towery leaving the helm of the McMinnville Downtown Association … Lindsay Berschauer and Michael Firestone suing for relief from controversial agricultural liens … and Newberg School District demoting its school superintendent for the last year of his employment contract.
- Reports about arrests, citations and other justice system stories … crowning of the Yamhill Derby Days queen … and an increase in McMinnville Water & Light water rates.
- Features on the Yamhill County Fair and other summer community celebrations … the availability of cooling shelters for 100-plus-degree days … failure of the signature-gathering effort for a McMinnville property tax limitation measure.
- Much more — including all the commercial advertising messages local businesses are sending out to our Yamhill County readers seeking support for their goods and services.
Some believe that continuation of newspaper industry cost-cutting is headed toward elimination of print altogether; others say we should eliminate the costs of websites and e-editions and focus only on traditional print.
For now, the reality is a combination of these forms of community journalism delivery. Hopefully, subscribers who really want to know their community will find ways to take the plunge into accessing our website and e-editions in addition to Friday print issues.
We’ll keep trying to make those digital platforms more user-friendly — your constructive ideas are welcome!
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
Comments
Sandy
I receive an email with a digital version of the printed paper. When I enlarge it to a readable print size, it becomes blurry and unreadable. So I sign in to the website and read the newspaper there in the online format. If you want people to read what you send out it has to actually be readable. I suggest you send a link to the online site rather than a copy of the printed newspaper. Or put what you send into some sort of format that allows one to read what you print. Before you merely complain about people not reading the digital issues you need to consider the reasons why they are not reading it.