The Price of Print

Dear readers,

The decline of print journalism is no secret. Over the past two decades, the industry has been battered by the rapid shift to digital media, the collapse of traditional advertising revenue, the monopolization of information distribution by tech giants and greedy ownership that prioritize large profit margins over community service. More than 2,500 newspapers in the United States have shuttered since 2005. Those that have survived are often shells of their former selves, operating with skeleton staffs and struggling to maintain the depth of reporting that once defined them. Meanwhile, social media platforms — particularly Facebook and Google — continue to siphon away ad dollars while spreading misinformation and eroding trust in professional journalism.

Here in Humboldt County, the North Coast Journal has spent decades providing in-depth reporting, investigative journalism, and cultural coverage that celebrates the rich and diverse stories of our region. We have exposed corruption, fought for transparency, and told the stories of the people who make this place extraordinary. But we are subject to the same challenges newspapers across the country and businesses here in our county struggle with, competing in an increasingly online economy.

This week marks a significant transition for our paper. After printing at Western Web in Samoa since 2009, we’ve printed our final issue there. Print costs have skyrocketed over the last six years, while revenue has remained relatively stagnant as Humboldt County’s economy has struggled under inflationary pressures and the crash of the cannabis industry. These combined financial pressures forced us to make the difficult decision to print the Journal and the company’s other publications out of the area, a choice we did not take lightly.

Printing is our second-largest expense after payroll, now accounting for 35 percent of our annual expenses. When we received notice that possible tariffs on Canadian paper would further increase our printing bill, we explored every possible solution, negotiating with Western Web, evaluating alternative options and considering cost-cutting measures. We have looked at every way to absorb these rising costs over the years: shrinking the paper, cutting down on coverage and even laying off staff. The one thing we have refused to consider is charging for the paper. Keeping local news free and accessible is central to our mission, allowing people of all income levels, with or without internet access, to stay informed about the issues that directly affect their lives.

In the end, we’ve arrived at a solution that enables us to honor our commitment to you. By collaborating with an out-of-area printer that utilizes American-made paper, we can uphold the quality of our publication without compromising jobs or diminishing coverage. While we fought to keep our dollars in Humboldt County, Western Web did not offer a price that would allow us to maintain the quality of our coverage, hold onto our staff and keep the Journal free, both in print and online. It was not an easy decision, but it was a necessary one.

Moving forward, you will still find the Journal available free on stands every Thursday. However, you may notice fewer locations throughout the county, as we are consolidating and removing certain sites to reduce the fuel burden on our Journal carriers.

Local print journalism matters, especially in a region in which reliable internet access is not a given. To help ensure you never miss an issue, consider subscribing to have the paper mailed to you each week. Your subscriptions or donations allow us to pay talented journalists, cover investigative costs and keep our newsroom running. Shopping local with businesses that advertise with us is another way to support local journalism. Our advertisers are the lifeblood of this paper.

Rest assured that while our printing is moving out of the area, everything else remains here — our writers, our production team and our sales staff are all part of this community. This is our home, too, and we will continue doing our best to serve it.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Melissa Sanderson

Publisher

This article appears in Taco Week 25.