The Western Weekender has today confirmed changes to its distribution model, in a move aimed at increasing the paper’s reach and ensuring local news remains free.
An Open Letter To Our Readers And Advertisers
Since The Western Weekender launched in 1991, we have taken pride in always putting Penrith first and offering free access to news and information about our community.
Over the last 31 years, there has been dramatic changes to the media landscape and the way people access and consume their news. We know there are tens of thousands of you who cherish our print edition and its arrival on your lawn every Thursday or Friday.
We also know there is a large number who access the paper in other ways – either collecting from a public pick-up point, subscribing to our free digital edition or engaging with our content across web and social.
Today we are announcing some changes to the way the print edition is delivered.
It is important to note your favourite local paper is going nowhere.
But from Friday, July 1 the Weekender will no longer be delivered direct to homes. We’ll explain more about the benefits of this decision in a moment.
Accessing the Weekender will still be easy, free and weekly. You’ll be able to get the latest Weekender in the following ways:
* From hundreds of pick-up points, including new locations, in every Penrith Local Government Area suburb. This ranges from service stations to clubs, supermarkets, chemists, shopping centres, takeaway shops and more.
* By subscribing to the free digital edition, to receive a digital replica of the paper every Thursday morning – as soon as the paper is coming off the press!
* By purchasing a paid subscription, for those who still wish to have the print edition delivered to their home.
We’ve reached this decision after long and detailed consideration and consultation with many of our partners and suppliers. There is no single reason behind this decision, but we’re excited that making this call offers the following opportunities, including but not limited to:
* A more environmentally friendly approach with the guarantee that every paper printed goes to somebody who wants it and there’s no wastage. Non-household editions are not wrapped in plastic, which represents a significant environmental benefit, while vehicle emissions would dramatically reduce without household delivery. We are mindful of the NSW Government’s moves in relation to single-use plastic.
* Being able to ensure there’s no dramatic price increase to our advertisers, given the rising costs of paper, petrol and general services associated with printing and delivering the paper, which don’t appear to be headed down any time soon.
* Being able to ensure The Western Weekender remains free, with no cover price and no paywall on our digital content, by streamlining our distribution process while maintaining and even growing our audience reach across the Penrith Local Government Area.
We understand that for some, this will require a change of habit in how you get the paper. But we’re working alongside the community to make sure anyone who wants the paper has a plethora of options to get a copy, or to access via digital means if they choose.
For our advertisers, we believe Return on Investment will not only be maintained, but will grow with a sharp focus on distribution points and ensuring better access to the paper.
For more information on how to get the latest Weekender, visit https://www.westernweekender.com.au/getapaper.
Troy Dodds
Managing Editor
Weekender Newsroom
This post has been published by the team in our newsroom.