We report daily on the way businesses are adapting and reinventing themselves to succeed in this fluid environment. One of the takeaways from our reporting is that businesses need to be future-ready. And that includes the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier.
During the past months, we've seen huge audience growth in digital readership, as our journalists have covered COVID-19 and the community's response to heightened national conversations about race.
Overall, digital-only subscriptions have increased by 93% over the prior year. And jg-tc.com, the JG-TC app and social channels continue to expand with videos, photo galleries, podcasts and updated stories and breaking news.
Changing readership dynamics trend toward multi-media and digital news consumption. To provide our readers, and future readers, news where they want it and how they want it, the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier will transition to a five-day (Tuesday-Saturday) print schedule starting Aug. 17.
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“The change in print frequency helps align the JG-TC with reader habits, which increasingly are digital," said Barry Winterland, general manager of the Central Illinois Newspaper Group for Lee Enterprises. “Our mission is to provide outstanding local journalism. This print transformation secures our future in our role as watchdog and our efforts to keep readers informed. Fewer print days do not mean less journalism.”
A greatly enhanced weekend edition will be available on Saturday, at the start of the weekend. This Saturday/Sunday paper will feature more content, plus inserts and coupons that readers are accustomed to getting in the Sunday edition.
Additional details about other features will be announced next month.
The Sunday and Monday newspapers will be available in e-edition format. The e-edition is an exact replica of the newspaper and, like all JG-TC digital content, is already available to members and subscribers.
"We have absolutely no plans to slow down chasing news," said Central Illinois Editor Chris Coates. "This announcement does not change that."
For those who want to support local journalism, please go to jg-tc.com/members.
