One year ago, the former owners of The Chronicle sounded the alarm in the form of a front-page editorial notifying the community this newspaper was in danger.
As businesses shuttered and advertisers clung to their advertising budgets amid uncertainty, the very future of this publication was in doubt, they wrote.
The newspaper was halved in size to bring costs in line with revenue. Popular features such as cartoons and puzzles were removed or published only irregularly. Much of our regional and national coverage was removed to preserve space for important local journalism.
Today, we proudly report we are not only gaining strength through the support of our partners and readers, but we are beginning to restore The Chronicle to its pre-pandemic size and scope.
Attentive readers have likely noticed subtle improvements in the nearly four months since we acquired The Chronicle and its sister publications from Lafromboise Communications in January. We’ve spent time listening to readers as we’ve gained a deeper understanding of the newspaper business and what it means to our thousands of supporters.
We’ve heard that you enjoy two pages of comics.
We’ve heard that puzzles are more important than ever in times of extended isolation.
We’ve heard that local sports coverage is a prized component of the newspaper for many.
We’ve heard that local community journalism is in many ways the heartbeat of the community, both as an indicator of overall health and a life force for shared knowledge and experiences.
In today’s edition of The Chronicle, you’ll find a renewed focus on all these aspects of the paper and more. This is paired with the recent unveiling of our brand new website — chronline.com — where we enjoy over 1 million pageviews each month.
Other changes will be less visible to the public, from our investments in our employees and new technology to our long term goal of not just maintaining our place as the area’s leading news source, but expanding and growing to better serve our readers and advertisers.
A year ago, this newspaper was in rough shape. While its focus on community journalism never wavered, the financial outlook was dire.
Through the dedicated support of our readers and partners, we have seen a sea change. Subscriptions are rising each day, revenue is beginning to grow and we have a team in place that is dedicated, talented and driven to make this newspaper the best it can be.
In the weeks and months ahead, you’ll still see some variation in the size and content of The Chronicle as we work to balance our growth with the still-present difficulties afflicting the newspaper business.
But unlike last year, we can confidently state that there are brighter days ahead.
You can help shape what that future looks like by subscribing to The Chronicle, supporting our advertisers or simply making helpful suggestions.
This newspaper has been proudly serving our communities for 132 years.
With your support, we look forward to continuing to make history with each new edition.
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Coralee Taylor is The Chronicle’s CEO and owner. She can be reached at coralee@chronline.com. Chad Taylor is The Chronicle’s publisher and owner. He can be reached at chad@chronline.com.
