I am grateful for the opportunity to speak here each week to more than 100,000 readers, talking about our company, our people and our journalism.
But this week I want to talk directly to those of you who subscribe to one of our eight newspapers across Michigan. Or to be more precise, I want to talk to the 75 percent of newspaper subscribers who ONLY read the printed paper and nothing online.
I know how loyal readers feel about their reading habits. I know because you tell me, like Barbara from Ann Arbor did in an email last week:
“I am inclined to keep the print edition as long as it’s feasible.There is something about the rustle, and the lampblack on my fingers. ...”
Anyone who grew up with newspapers in their house has similar bonds. Clipping articles, setting down the puzzle page and coming back to it later, tucking a section into a purse to read in the doctor’s waiting room. I get it.
But from where I sit – that is to say, heading the most-read news organization in Michigan and trying to make it useful for our readers and communities – I am eager to share with print subscribers ways to get ALL of the value out of their subscription. And that involves setting down the paper and reading the newspaper online.
The online newspaper IS your local newspaper edition – but much, much more. I want you to see for yourself, and I will share information at the end of this column on how you can do that and save up to 40 percent on your current subscription cost.
But first, the benefits of your online newspaper:
— It is published 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and past editions are available for 28 days. Depending on which of our papers you read now, you get home delivery 2, 3 or 4 days per week.
— It is a replica of your newspaper – same masthead, same layout, same sections – so it won’t seem unfamiliar.
— Familiar, but more of what you like. The online edition includes late-breaking news and sports, The New York Times Book Review, subscriber exclusive special sections and up to 80 additional pages of news, features, recipes and puzzles every week.
— You can add up to four family members to your subscription.
— You can share single articles with friends and family via email or social media, and those people won’t need a subscription to read what you share.
— Emails come daily to help you access and get the most out of your subscription: One comes each morning with a link that takes you right into the online edition, and another points out articles you might appreciate based on your reading habits.
You may wonder why MLive would be interested in selling you a subscription for less than what you may be paying now. It’s simple – the long-term success of our news organization in a digital world relies on having customers who are comfortable accessing news in ways other than print.
The print-reading demographic is shrinking, and that makes it harder to carry our production and delivery costs across our subscriber base. Some readers across Michigan have been disappointed when a carrier stops delivering their route because it is no longer profitable. I know, because this happened to my mother, who lives up north.
In the online format, we can give you more of what you like at a reduced cost to us, and you. It keeps the format you like coming to you each day, and frankly, it’s better and fresher than what we can put in print.
I’d encourage you to give it a try. Here’s how:
— Make sure you have activated your account. To do so, use your computer, tablet or smartphone to go to myaccount.mlive.com. Follow the steps to activate; if you already are, it will note that.
— If you are a former subscriber but would like to resume, go to subscribe.mlive.com and choose which of our eight editions you prefer.
We are running discount offers right now for both current subscribers and former subscribers. Click on the links below, or call the number provided and mention code SAVE40.
Ann Arbor News: 734-926-4555, or click this link.
Bay City Times: 989-671-1201, or click this link.
Flint Journal: 810-766-6280, or click this link.
Grand Rapids Press: 616-222-5411, or click this link.
Jackson Citizen Patriot: 517-768-4830, or click this link.
Kalamazoo Gazette: 269-388-7789, or click this link.
Muskegon Chronicle: 231-728-9554, or click this link.
Saginaw News: 989-671-1202, or click this link.
So Barbara, I don’t mind if you get your fingertips smudged two days a week by The Ann Arbor News. But I’d encourage you to jump into your online edition the other five days and open a broader world of content you’ve been missing – and save a few dollars doing it.