More bad news for newspapers: There’s a tight supply of newsprint
As if they didn’t have enough to deal with, America’s newspaper publishers are facing a tight supply of newsprint that’s driving up prices, states a post on Editor and Publisher.
The crunch may be temporary, continues the post, but “it highlights the uncertainty and cost pressures straining a local news industry that’s largely online nowadays but still heavily dependent on printed newspapers.
“Brier Dudley’s SAVE THE FREE PRESS columns are made available for free to the public and to other newspapers for their use — to build awareness of the local journalism crisis and potential solutions. The entire body of work is viewable here: st.news/SavetheFreePress
“If these conditions persist, cost and supply challenges may lead more newspapers to reduce pages, as The Seattle Times is doing temporarily until supply improves, cut print frequency or accelerate plans to become entirely online products.”
“It’s kind of a double-whammy for publishers. It’s not only expensive, it’s really hard to find newsprint right now,” said Kevin Craig, CEO of PAGE Cooperative, a North Carolina nonprofit that purchases materials and services for around 1,200 newspapers.
As a result of mill closures and disruptions, newsprint prices “have gone haywire — they’re as high as I’ve seen in many years,” Craig said.
