An outside view of the Cortland Standard's headquarters. (Photo Source: Timothy A. Bennett, Owner and Publisher of The Cortland Voice)
A local, daily newspaper has made a decision in terms of its print publication.
The Cortland Standard announced on Monday that starting July 17, 2023, the newspaper will print five days a week instead of six. In two weeks, the paper will be published Tuesday through Saturday.
“This is not a decision we made lightly,” Cortland Standard publisher Evan Geibel said. “We delayed taking the step for as long as we could, but it has become necessary for the Cortland Standard to survive.”
Evan Geibel (Photo source: Cortland Standard)
The decision comes after the price of newsprint, the type of paper that the Cortland Standard is printed on, saw a roughly 40% increase since 2020. This was also due to an increase in staff wages.
Geibel mentioned there won’t be a change in staffing or coverage.
“We are doing everything we can to continue to provide the greater Cortland area with the up-to-date news and information the community needs,” Geibel said.
How does this affect subscriber of the Cortland Standard?
Geibel noted that the decision has no impact on current subscribers of their services.
Geibel added refunds will not be provided due to the paper’s policy, when asked about subscribers signing up for six printed issues compared to the soon-to-be five issues. He continued by saying that the Cortland Standard's services are sold to its subscribers on a weekly basis, and that they are not based on how many times they are released in a week.
A stack of newspapers in Cortland Free Library.
(Photo Source: Timothy A. Bennett, Owner and Publisher of The Cortland Voice)
Final word from Geibel
“We are not doing this to squeeze more profit out of the newspaper,” Geibel said. “We’re doing this so the community has a strong, daily newspaper for as long as possible. Our print is our strongest product, while we have gained many, many digital subscribers.”
A word from Timothy A. Bennett, owner and publisher of The Cortland Voice
“The news industry has changed a lot over the past 25 years. It’s changed even more so since the Civil War (1861 to 1865) and the birth of SUNY Cortland (in 1868), which both occurred in the same decade as the Cortland Standard was created. They (Cortland Standard) have a long-standing legacy and they should be proud about that. I wish them well through this trying time.
Timothy A. Bennett, Owner and Publisher of the Cortland Voice (Photo Courtesy of Ana Gil Photography)
Local and reliable news can be found by residents in the greater Cortland County area via The Cortland Voice, the Cortland Standard, and Homer’s local radio station – WXHC. Each outlet has their own style of reporting, engagement tools to reach the community, and each has their own loyal readership.
As an industry leader, The Cortland Voice will continue to offer news to everyone at no cost. We will continue to inform readers on what is happening locally, whether the reader is in Cortland County, the surrounding areas, or in another part of the country. Our goal is to remain inclusive in all forms of our reporting, inclusive within our operations, and to be accessible by any person wishing information.”
About the Cortland Standard
The Cortland Standard, established in 1867, started out as a weekly newspaper and moved to a daily publication in 1892.
According to a press release, the paper is the second-oldest in New York and the eighth-oldest in the United States.
