The State to change print publication days, delivery method in next step of digital push
We have talked often in this space over the years about how The State is adapting to a new digital landscape that has forever changed our business model.
We have gone from a print-based company with a presence online to a digitally-focused operation slowly de-emphasizing the printed product.
Today, we lean even further into that transformation.
On April 22, we will transition to a 24/7 digital product with printed editions on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. We will no longer offer a print edition on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Also that week, your paper will start being delivered by your postal carrier, in most cases alongside your regular mail delivery. The Wednesday and Friday papers will arrive on those days; your Sunday paper will be delivered on Saturdays.
Some of you who have received the print edition for decades – you write to me often; I recognize many of your names when I see them – will be disappointed by these changes. We understand.
The hard truth is the world has changed underneath us. The vast majority of our readers and subscribers are already reading us on digital devices. Advertising has mostly gone online as well – all while the costs of printing and delivering a print product continue to escalate. It’s the right time for this next step in our evolution.
We’ll continue to strengthen our digital offerings. For some time now, I’ve thought our electronic edition – we call it the eEdition for short – is the best product we offer. Without space limitations and with later deadlines, each edition has dozens of pages more than the printed edition allows.
And the best is yet to come. We’re very excited about a new, improved eEdition that will be in place before the changes happen.
We urge you to try it. We will be here to help anyone who needs help with their digital account or with navigating the eEdition. We’ll soon schedule an event where you can come and talk to someone in person. Or you can email me at btolley@thestate.com, and I’ll have someone talk you through it.
Our staff remains strong and committed to bringing you the content you’ve come to expect from us. Reporters John Monk, Sammy Fretwell and Chris Trainor are Columbia icons and just a few of the great local news reporters we have. If you follow USC sports, you already know how good our sports staff is. No one covers the Gamecocks better. Reporting by our nationally recognized investigative team led by Gina Smith has changed laws and one of its reporters, Zak Koeske, just launched a new series examining the rapidly changing world of charter schools and how your money is being used.
In the past week alone, we’ve brought you exclusive local content such as Trainor’s deep dive into the factors that have caused some of our most beloved restaurants to close, Morgan Hughes’ look at the future of Assembly Street and Bristow Marchant’s examination of slow EMS response times in Chapin.
Next month, we will expand our dedication to Lexington County news with the addition of Jordan Lawrence, who joins us after covering communities in that county for another outlet the past two-and-a-half years.
If you’re already a subscriber, thank you for supporting this kind of work and investing in local journalism (if you haven’t already, be sure to activate your digital access at thestate.com/activate). If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider being a part of our future. Our community deserves a strong, independent local news source that prioritizes the Midlands.
In the coming days, subscribers will receive correspondence from our customer service team regarding next steps. That team can be reached at 800-888-3566.
Brian Tolley is president and editor of The State newspaper. He can be reached at btolley@thestate.com.
