SLO Tribune reducing print edition to twice weekly
A SLO Tribune newspaper rack at Joe’s Place on Spring Street in Paso Robles sat for months without being stocked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The editor of the San Luis Obispo Tribune on Friday said the newspaper is cutting back on printed editions starting April 15.
In a letter to subscribers, Editor Joe Tarica said, “The print editions will publish Wednesdays and Sundays and continue to be delivered with your regular mail. The Sunday newspaper will arrive on Saturday as it has since June. Single copies also will be available at select retail locations.”
“This transition will also allow us to invest in making our digital experiences better, including a big update to the eEdition that I’m excited to share with you soon,” he said. “This is another key move for us within the digital transition of the news industry — and a vital step toward the sustainability of The Tribune.”
In 2015, the newspaper closed its large printing operation on South Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo and cut about 28 positions. It moved the print jobs to its sister paper, The Fresno Bee.
In 2019, the longtime 7-day-a-week newspaper scaled back to six days, eliminating its Saturday edition. Then in 2020, the newspaper closed its local office, moving to remote operations.
Its parent company, McClatchy, the second-largest chain of local newspapers, filed for bankruptcy the same year. The Tribune and 29 of McClatchy’s newspapers were then purchased by New Jersey hedge fund Chatham Asset Management.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, The SLO Tribune and many local newspapers throughout the country began reducing the number of newspaper racks available for single-copy sales.
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