The Juneau Empire announced that 30 percent of subscribers to the physical newspaper will start receiving their newspapers by the U.S. Postal Service. The change is a result of the inability of the newspaper to find carriers for certain neighborhoods. The partnership will ensure more on-time delivery for those on Douglas Island, downtown near Basin Road, and in some neighborhoods “out the road.”
The newspaper was an afternoon paper until after 2000, when it switched to becoming a morning paper. Its delivery has been troubled by too few people wanting to pick up routes in the morning. As a consequence, the Postal Service partnership will mean those subscribers will get their news later in the day, said David Rigas, publisher.
Most newspaper carriers in America are no longer kids on bikes, but adults working routes with their cars. Typically the routes are a second or third job for them. Carriers are not employed by the newspapers but act as independent contractors and may get 10-15 cents for every newspaper delivered.
According to David Rigas, publisher of the Empire, about 30% of subscribers will see a delivery change beginning Jan. 18. He said that the partnership with the United States Postal Service will ensure regular paper delivery to areas where reliable delivery by carriers has been lacking for the newspaper that was founded in 1912.
The paper reported that the move to partial mail delivery comes after a months-long effort to find neighborhood carriers for the Empire, which was purchased from Morris Communications by GateHouse Media in 2017. GateHouse sold its Alaska papers to Sound Publications the next year. The printed edition comes out Tuesday through Friday and Sunday.
First, the Juneau Empire is not a “news” paper. It is a publication and the only thing you can believe what’s printed is the weather and sports. They do have some outdoor columns that are worth reading but the rest is pure leftwing propaganda. It is owned and content dictated by a publisher in Washington state. There are far better means to keep oneself updated and The Empire should go strictly online to reduce its carbon footprint. Tons of paper being dumped in our overfull landfill, garbage in garbage out.
Worry not Jim, worry not. Its only a matter of time. Likely a short matter of time.
How does one stay as informed as you, Jim? People are wondering…
They stay informed, John, HONESTLY informed, by NOT relying on the corrupted and hopelessly propagandizing corporate media — you know, the voice of your masters.
Jefferson, you still have not provided that election fraud evidence you claim exists. I’ve asked you dozens of times and you refuse. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve been convinced that something exists that doesn’t. For the last time, where is that evidence?
And for the last time, John the Disingenuous, it is out there for all to see! One simply has to have the intellectual and moral integrity to acknowledge it, both of which you obviously lack.
I think the bloody zombie inhabiting 1600 Pensilvania Ave is all the proof one requires— plus, just yesterday zombie-in-chief said, “yes, elections are susceptible to fraud.” Proof enough, John.
Provide one court case that found credible fraud. Just one. That’s all.
Eric, so now you trust Biden? Weird. Isn’t he a zombie? Present one case where fraud could have altered the election outcome. You know… as you guys claim, but can never prove.
Oh gosh! Oh democrats! Rather than change they’ll die first before changing. So stubborn.
Not many people are reading the news. I think that’s a curse to our low reading profiency. Its Juneau Democrats’ fault that the Juneau Empire is short on carriers and readers.
I remember a time, less than 6 years ago, the paper was daily. It’s less a matter of on line and more a matter of poor coverage, constant ownership changes, and indifferent management.
Why not just contract with the local garbage collectors to have them pick up the trash directly, and skip the mostly useless middle step?
The Juneau Empire has been unable to find a business model that works. A capital city needs a daily newspaper, and believe it or not the Empire has more balance right now than does the Anchorage Daily News. As a nonprofit that pays no taxes, even property taxes, Public Broadcasting eats the Empire’s lunch. Public Broadcasting also receives direct payments from taxpayers. The local for-profit radio broadcasting company has just modified their news website to compete better with the Empire. MustReadAlaska is the best source of news of course. This huge election year should be good for all the media.
Which is why the Empire needs to cover the things KTOO isn’t interested in. Like corruption in the legislature, UAS’s inability to get out of its own way, and why no one in the community actually gives a damn about the JACC.
Just what folks need – more junk mail!
We held on as a subscriber for 40-years; the unabashed leftism grew so tiresome; every word was tainted. We finally cancelled 4-months ago. Interestingly, they keep delivering. It works fine as a fire-starter for the woodstove. The unabashed leftism grew very tiresome. At this point, every word is tainted.
We held on as a subscriber for 40-years; the unabashed leftism grew so tiresome. At this point every word is tainted. We finally cancelled 4-months ago. Interestingly, they keep delivering. It works fine as a fire-starter for the woodstove.
Small, local newspapers still do well nationwide if they do three things the Empire doesn’t.
1-Cover local news. All of it, not just what is palatable to the subscribers.
2-Have a coherent business model.
3-Cover the surrounding communities like Angoon. Hoonah, Gustavas, even Skagway.
Juneau is a locked community. There isn’t an influx of new people to bolster the subscriber base. Everyone who wants the Empire has it.
Failure to adequately cover the whole community mixed with ongoing doubts if it will exist has eroded community interest and goodwill.
If they ditched the leftwing propaganda, hypocrisy, and other nonsense maybe someone would read it. They to just be online only and linger on with no viewership like CNN.
Gone are the days of “News while it IS news – not when it’s history”
Oh, you mean like Dermot Cole’s FDNM column, where he would acknowledge something NINE MONTHS after it first became news on the street?
Given the apparent struggles the Empire has been having I would be very surprised if it could not be bought for a pittance. If investors could talk MustRead into absorbing the Empire that could potentially evolve into a business model that would work. A capital city does need a daily newspaper.
Surely you are joking. Heheh!
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