Garnering Insight: Newspapers are getting squeezed

By Phil Cobb | December 29, 2023 |

“If Harvey County Now’s printed product was squeezed any harder, it might just drip ink on your hands.”

These words are from a story by Adam Strunk in the Harvey County Now (Newton, Kansas) newspaper but they are fitting words for almost every small local newspaper across the nation, including our own publication.

Over the last two years, the costs of printing and mailing the Maryville Forum have gone up exponentially, so I wanted to take some space and inform you, dear subscriber, that we are slightly raising rates to the Maryville Forum beginning with the Jan. 4, 2024, issue. Subscription costs will now be a still-extremely-affordable $40 per year.

First off, this is not some drive to increase revenue, it’s simply an attempt to cover production and delivery costs.

At the previous rate, subscribers were paying 67 cents per issue to have the newspaper delivered to their mailbox each week. With the minimal increase for those subscribers within the 644 zip codes, it will cost approximately 77 cents per week. At the newsstand and in the boxes around town each issue will now cost $1.

Upon conducting a thorough review of other newspapers in northwest Missouri and southwest Iowa, the Maryville Forum is actually still less expensive than most other publications or is right in line with others. This still keeps our proud newspaper as one of the most affordable and comprehensive sources for news not just in our corner of the world, but the entire Midwest. In reality, the cost for each issue is still less than most fountain drinks and certainly far cheaper than a cup of Joe at a coffee shop or any other bottled drink, and is definitely cheaper than a candy bar.

I want to let you in on some of the cost increases that we have faced. Number one on that list is the cost to deliver the newspaper. Along with fuel costs, mailing costs are something that newspapers have no control over whatsoever, especially with the honey deal that Amazon has with the United States Post Office. These increases in cost are not unique to the Maryville Forum, but are taking place at newspapers across the state, region and nation.

Information from the National News Association in 2023 stated that since the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission removed a regulatory cap in 2021, the U.S. Postal Service has increased the mailing costs of newspapers by 24 percent, and that does not include the most recent 8.8 percent hike in July. The Postal Service is now raising prices once again for local publishers, this time by an expected 7.3 percent, which is also not included in that 24 percent increase.

With paper carriers no longer being a viable option, the Postal Service is the only way to deliver print newspapers anymore. We are at the government’s mercy, and we know there is not much mercy there.

Besides postal increases, the industry is also facing large increases in printing costs, some of which can be attributed to everyone’s favorite excuse, the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic and other outside factors caused a worldwide shortage of paper and the U.S. tariffs levied on paper rose. Additionally, according to the Columbia Journal Review, the cost of newsprint has increased by 34 percent from 2020-2022. Although our printer has not quite raised prices to that extent, we have still seen historic increases in the form of surcharges in the amount of 15 percent that may or may not come down in the future.

With rising costs, many local newspapers across the country have folded. We will not be one of those. I remain determined to not have a news desert here in northwest Missouri. Throughout the changing economic environment, I have done the opposite of other newspapers throughout the nation. We have increased payroll through raises to loyal and outstanding employees and hired more staff — not laying off people or closing the doors.

The Maryville Forum has been a trusted source of news since 1869 and we will continue to be that. So for basically 75 cents an issue, (approximate subscription prices), you are getting insightful and award-winning news reporting, photographs and features on the people, places and faces in our communities that matter the most to you as well as the best and most comprehensive sports coverage from the hardest-working sports journalist in the region, if not the state.

The cost is still one of the most affordable, not only in northwest Missouri but throughout the entire United States. Rates in the racks and the stores will go to a $1 an issue.

In the near future, we also will be making some changes to our website. For subscribers, there will be no changes, as it will only impact those who do not pay for the newspaper.

For years we have used what is called a soft paywall, which allows new users a way to sample the newspaper content for free for a short time. However, that system also allows for rampant abuse. People are able to circumvent the paywall and obtain everything at no cost, which isn’t fair to the subscribers, nor is it fair to the newspaper itself, which pays the cost to host the website — and it’s not inexpensive. Therefore, in the near future, maryvilleforum.com will be going to a hard paywall format with multiple options.

As always, though, obituaries and photo galleries will continue to be available for free viewing.

And as always, if you have any questions, comments or want to come visit me for a chat, please feel free to stop by.

Ken Garner is the owner and publisher of The Maryville Forum and The Post.