New publication date to better serve readersDate: 1/2/2013 By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com
If your copy of The Reminder isn't in your mailbox or at your favorite pick-up location next Monday, don't worry. You will see it just a few days later on Thursday.
As the final event in Reminder Publications' 50th anniversary year, Co-Publisher Dan Buendo has made the decision to change the publication dates of the company's four weekly newspapers.
"This move will benefit both our readers and our advertisers," Buendo said.
He explained that The Reminder, serving East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hampden, Wilbraham and the Sixteen Acres area of Springfield, would be distributed on Thursdays starting Jan. 10, 2013.
The Chicopee Herald (Chicopee, Holyoke, South Hadley), The Springfield Reminder and The MetroWest Reminder (West Springfield, Westfield, Agawam) would come out every Friday beginning Jan. 11, 2013, he added.
"For readers, this move will permit our News Department to cover events on days that the previous deadlines wouldn't allow," Buendo explained. "It also means there will be less time between when the newspapers go to our printer and are delivered to our readers."
There is a definite advantage for the advertisers who use the four newspapers to reach 122,000 readers every week.
"For many businesses getting their message out on Thursday and Friday is essential," Buendo said. "We are giving them another choice to consider."
The changes in the daily newspaper industry have been well documented with many stories about declines in readership and advertising.
The parent company of The Republican, for instance, has cut their daily newspapers in markets such as New Orleans, La., Mobile and Birmingham, Ala., and Syracuse, N.Y., down to three days a week.
Community newspapers, such as those produced by Reminder Publications, have better weathered the economic storm because of their focus on local content.
"People seek out our newspapers because of their emphasis on local advertising and news," Buendo said. "Readers want to know what is happening in their communities and we give them that every week."
Reminder Publications recently made changes to its website (www.thereminder.com) and will be making additional improvements, he said. One element readers will see more in 2013 will be the posting of stories on the website before they appear in print.
Links to those stories will be on the company's Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/ReminderPublications).
"We understand that people want their news on different platforms and a greater effort will be made in 2013 to provide that variety," Buendo said, adding that he knows the shift in publication dates might cause some initial confusion or concern.
"Don't worry, The Reminder isn't going anywhere. The newspapers will continue its tradition of giving readers the news and advertisements they want. They'll just deliver it on a different day," he said.
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