YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — The Yakima Herald-Republic will cut its print publication schedule to three days a week starting April 1, officials at the central Washington newspaper announced Tuesday.
The Herald-Republic will publish print editions only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, although it will publish electronically every day of the week.
“Some will no doubt say this proves the Yakima Herald-Republic is dying, but they are wrong. Our digital audiences are growing and we are changing to meet their needs,” editor-in-chief Greg Halling wrote to readers. .
“Our newsgathering capacity will not be reduced, nor will the size of our editorial staff. In fact, we are well positioned to grow,” Halling wrote.
The Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, owned by Gannett, announced earlier this month that it would stop printing a Saturday edition of the daily from March 26.
The Yakima newspaper, owned by The Seattle Times Co., blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for exacerbating the decline in advertising revenue that newspapers across the country have suffered for years.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit central Washington, it hit local businesses hard, forcing them to cut back on advertising even further,” Halling wrote. “It also forced us to reduce our expenses, but we are committed to keeping our newsroom intact. ”
In addition to the three print editions, subscribers will continue to receive unlimited access to yakimaherald.com and the YHR app, Halling wrote.