COVID-19 quarantine impacts businesses’ ability to advertise
by Melanie Jongsma
LANSING, Ill. (April 29, 2020) – With Governor Pritzker’s stay-at-home order extended through May, owners of The Lansing Journal made the decision not to take on the expense of producing and mailing a print edition of the newspaper next month. The print edition would normally have been published on May 6, the first Wednesday of the month.
The 10,000 copies of each month’s print edition cost $1,300–$1,500 to print (depending on the number of pages) and $1,650 to mail and distribute. Advertising revenue and contributions from readers help cover those costs as well as other costs associated with gathering, reporting, and distributing local news.
Publishing online
The Lansing Journal will continue to publish news online every day, as the costs associated with online publishing and distribution are far lower than print. The Journal will also continue to help local businesses reach customers with their advertising messages, an outreach that is more important than ever during economic uncertainty. An enhanced system of digital advertising is now available: Digital advertising
Digital advertising offers a number of advantages, including lower cost, broader reach, and more measurable results.
Future publishing
The Lansing Journal is not able to predict whether or when they will produce another printed issue of Lansing’s only newspaper. Like other small businesses, they are making adjustments as needed to survive the unprecedented economic impact of COVID-19. For the time being, people who are interested in receiving local news are invited to sign up for the Daily News email:
Readers who are interested in enabling The Lansing Journal to continue posting local news daily, distributing it via email, and paying reporters a small stipend, are invited to make a contribution of any size:
And businesses who are interested in exploring the opportunities that digital advertising offers are invited to view the enhanced options now available:
The Lansing Journal remains committed to publishing and distributing community-building news, while serving schools, churches, and business in Lansing and the surrounding region.
Can you let us know what happened to the Shopper? I have not been receiving it in the mail and it looks like it’s website is down.
The Shopper also stopped printing for a while, but they are hoping to print a May 6 issue. However, chances are they will not be able to mail it, because of the expense. I don’t know the specifics yet, but they might simply be delivering bundles to pick-up points around town.
Is there an online version of the Shopper in the meantime
Probably nothing yet. They have not produced a paper of any kind since April 1. If they are able to publish a May 6 edition, they might decide to post it online as well.
Thanks, I always enjoy The Shopper as well as the Lansing Journal.
Hope you are back in print later this year, seems like the print edition should attract newcomer readers, and new advertisers in the area, when placed at local libraries, chambers of commerce information offices, coffee houses, bakeries, auto repair and medical waiting areas (when they reopen).