Starting next week, the Anchorage Daily News will shift from publishing its print newspaper six days a week to two days a week. The move will enable the ADN, which has the largest digital news audience in Alaska, to focus on digital efforts and be sustainable into the future, leaders of the organization said.
The print newspaper will be published Sundays and Wednesdays starting the week of July 15. The e-edition — the electronic replica of the print newspaper — will continue to be published every day except Saturdays. The change was announced in a letter and email to subscribers.
The decision to reduce print days reflects changing reader habits and rising costs. Readership on ADN.com and its mobile app far exceeds that of the print newspaper — accounting for more than 90% of readership overall. The number of digital-only subscribers surpassed the number of print subscribers several years ago.
“Everyone at ADN loves reading and producing a printed paper,” said ADN president and owner Ryan Binkley. “The daily newspaper has been a beloved feature of American life for over a century. But the reality is that our growing readership has overwhelmingly shifted to our online platforms. Like any business, we have to meet our customers where they are, and over 90% of them are online. This decision was a difficult one, but we have to evolve as our readers’ preferences continue to change.”
The print reduction will result in the loss of three jobs, all related to the distribution of the newspaper, company officials said. Staffing in all other departments, including the newsroom, will remain the same. The move won’t affect news coverage or the organization’s journalistic ambition, leaders of the organization said.
“Decreasing the frequency of the printed paper will allow us to focus more time and energy on reporting the news our readers depend on and improving our digital offerings,” Binkley said.
The change was described by Binkley and other leaders of the organization as strategic. ADN.com receives almost a million page views each week, and the number of digital-only ADN subscribers has increased to nearly 19,000.
“The way most of our readers consume news has changed dramatically,” Binkley said in the letter to subscribers. “… The reality is that nearly all readers clearly prefer to read the news online.”
Many newspapers nationally have reduced print days. In Alaska, the Juneau Empire last year shifted to publishing two days a week. The Anchorage Daily News eliminated its Saturday edition in 2017.
ADN leaders said online products such as the six-day e-edition, and the new Today’s Paper webpage, are aimed at providing print readers a digital experience that presents news in a format they’re more familiar with.
“Our readers are everything to us — and there are more of you joining us every week,” Binkley said in the letter to subscribers. “You have buoyed us through hard times, and your support and trust will carry us into the future. We’re committed to delivering the news that matters to you, and no doubt this change will only strengthen our ability to better serve you and other Alaskans.”