Price Increase Coming In September
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DAVE’S WORLD
By David Howell
The start of September will bring a rate increase for subscribers and single copy sales in stores as we struggle to keep up with inflation. Hopefully the extra five dollars will not be a deterrent for subscribers, the decision comes as our postage rates increased again in July and our printing costs remain at an all-time high. The cost of newsprint has been a big factor in the inflation that we are experiencing. Hopefully the cost of newsprint has stabilized.
This decision wasn’t easy, but was necessary to keep the Herald serving the needs of the community. Many publications have reduced their page count in an effort to counter printing costs, but in my opinion this is not a viable longterm option for a local newspaper.
Prior increases have been few and far between and our rates remain very competitive when compared to similar publications in the region. During my almost 20-year tenure at the Herald, we have had three prior rate increases – 2006 when the cost for an in-county subscription went from $15 to $18, 2012 when in-county rates went to $20, and 2021 when the price increased to $25. As always we also offer a six month subscription that many of our subscribers utilize.
The new in-county rate will be $30, in-state subscriptions will increase the same amount to $35 and out-of-state rates will go to $45. Online subscriptions will also increase to $30.
This was a difficult decision, especially considering our out-of-town subscribers who often report delivery problems. Thankfully our local postal carriers do a great job and most readers in the Water Valley area receive their papers regularly each Wednesday. Our problem stems from when the newspapers are shipped to the larger distribution centers, especially in Memphis, and papers are delayed a week or more.
We appreciate the patience of so many readers who have called to report delivery issues. It is frustrating when papers arrive regularly, meaning a few days after we mail them, and then delivery becomes sporadic. A friend in Sardis reported not receiving a paper for almost a month, and then issues from three different weeks arrived in his mailbox the same day.
If you are an out-of-county subscriber experiencing delivery problems, one option is to consider an online subscription. We have a lot of out-of-town subscribers who have both an online and mailed subscription. If you would like a trial on-line subscription, give me a call at the Herald office (662) 473-1473 and I will set you up.
Our single copy price will increase from 75 cents to a dollar starting with the Sept. 7 edition. That doesn’t sound too bad, a newspaper is still less expensive than a 12-ounce Coke.
