SLO Tribune moves to digital Saturdays this week
To our readers:
Starting this weekend, The Tribune will no longer print a Saturday edition of the newspaper.
This change, which was announced over the summer, is the latest step in our evolution into a digital-centric news organization.
While the printed newspaper remains a critical piece of our report, it’s our website, mobile app, newsletters and other digital products that will lead the way into the future. This is where the growth is, and it’s where we must focus our energy.
We understand the frustration the loss of the Saturday paper will mean for some readers, so we’re taking a number of steps to ease the impact.
On Friday, we will add a new page of puzzles that readers can save for Saturday morning. We’re also adding a new themed section called “Uplift,” which will be your source of good news for the weekend.
On Saturday, we invite readers to “go digital” and take advantage of all the online content we have to offer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can do this by reading stories either on our website or on the e-edition, which replicates the experience of a printed newspaper online.
The e-edition looks just like your regular paper, but with all kinds of additional content in our EXTRA EXTRA digital supplement that features more national, international and entertainment news, along with Sports Xtra, our sports supplement. It is no exaggeration to say the e-edition is packed with content.
On Sunday, in addition to our usual comics and puzzles lineup, we will add back the puzzles and comics that you love to read in your Saturday paper, so that you can keep up with your favorite strips and never miss a crossword or Jumble.
Here are answers to some common questions:
Why is The Tribune always changing?
As you know, it’s a challenging time for American media companies.
Models that worked in the past no longer apply today. The landscape of the advertising in world in particular has shifted dramatically, dividing dollars among more media properties and gravitating away from print to digital.
In the past, strong advertising revenue subsidized the print newspaper, which allowed us to deliver The Tribune by hand to your home every day for a fraction of what you would pay if you drove to a news stand or store.
Today, subscriptions are more important than they ever have been, but that has occurred at a time when many readers have become accustomed to reading the news online for free.
The problem is, news isn’t free — just as your Netflix account or cable TV aren’t free. To run a healthy newsroom that dispatches reporters to cover the news of San Luis Obispo County, we need subscribers to support our work.
It’s the only way we will be able to cover stories such as the health of residents impacted by air pollution on the Nipomo Mesa, the plight of residents being evicted from the Grand View Apartments in Paso, how San Luis Obispo is trying to meet the demands for new housing, and whether building larger, denser complexes will help affordability.
Will The Tribune cut other days of the week?
While we have no plans to cut additional days at this time, reader habits are constantly changing. More and more people are reading the news on their phones, tablets or computers, whether they have a standalone digital subscription or have activated the digital access that comes with their print subscription. This content is live and updated constantly, always at your fingertips.
Where will I get my news on Saturday?
We encourage readers to find our content online in whatever platform suits them best. For some, this might be reading stories on the website via a desktop computer. For others, it could be reading through our app on a smart phone.
Readers who love the curated experience of a printed newspaper should definitely try out the e-edition.
Not only is this content the most up-to-date, it’s also the most robust, with videos, photo galleries, graphics, related stories, links to share with your friends and family, and other benefits.
If you haven’t signed up for our newsletters or alerts, I highly recommend you give them a try. You can receive our morning and afternoon newsletters so you’re always up on the latest headlines. Sign up for breaking news alerts so you’re the first to know when something big happens.
How can I support The Tribune and local journalism?
Journalism has never been more important than it is today, especially at the local level where decisions are made that affect your life.
There’s no better way to support that effort than with a digital subscription to The Tribune, which will give you full access to all of our digital content, the website, the e-edition, the mobile app and everything else.
It’s also an investment in the health of San Luis Obispo County and your hometown. With your support, we can continue to look into the issues that are most important to your community.
How do I get help with Tribune products or services?
If you are having a problem accessing our content, we are here to help.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns related to the new delivery method on Saturdays or any other issue, please give us a call at 800-288-4128 or email us at customerservice@thetribunenews.com. We will do everything possible to ensure your satisfaction.
