Relief may be at hand for newspaper operations dogged by newsprint supply chain snarls and the rising costs of the paper over the past three years. Newspapers should expect significant changes in the market by early 2023 along with downward pressure on prices, according to Derek Mahlburg, director of North American paper and packaging analysis for Fastmarkets, an information provider for the forest products industry that newspaper operations pros turn to for data. more

The newspaper pros working in news publishing operations and logistics not only understand every department’s mechanics (beyond presses and equipment), they often contribute new thinking and concepts to help uncover profitability. Operations All-Stars — a joint project between E&P and the International Newspaper Group — recognizes three winners, plus three additional runners-up, as this year's top talent. more

Longtime media industry consultant Ken Harding has taken his talents to Hearst Newspapers. Harding’s title at Hearst is senior vice president of business effectiveness, an unusual — though fitting title — to describe what he’s doing. more

The industry is approaching a pivotal year (2026) when digital newspaper ad revenue will surpass print newspaper ad revenue, according to the most recent Global Entertainment & Media Outlook report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. And, frequency trends for print are heading away from the full seven-day print delivery. Editor & Publisher recently spoke with Kevin Rehberg, vice president of client development at the Alliance for Audited Media, to see what AAM is up to in the shifting marketplace. more

Newspapers around the country are scrambling to keep enough rolls of newsprint in stock to make their print runs and they also are closely monitoring ink and printing plate supplies. And, it's only expected to get worse in Q3 and Q4, several publishers recently told E&P. As they perform a delicate dance to maintain the paper flow, they’re turning to alternative methods and outreach. more

Staffing issues remain top of mind among newspaper operations managers, says Wayne Pelland, senior vice president of operations at Gannett and president of the International Newspaper Group. The number two issue is the rising costs and availability of raw materials. Those challenges and others will get attention as the group returns to live events post COVID lockdowns. more

The Rent-a-Pressman (RAP) program dispatches pressmen to newspapers, large commercial printers and other operations who need them in a pinch. It’s a growing offering for imPRESSions, headquartered in Burlington, Washington. Among the presses the imPRESSions team has run are Baker Perkins, Hantscho, Goss Community, Goss Urbanite, Goss Sunday, DGM 440 and Heidelberg Mercury. more

With print diminishing, are newspaper companies looking to press retrofits and upgrades these days rather than buying a new press? E&P put that question to QIPC-EAE and DCOS Automation, both of whom do press component upgrades in the U.S., among other services and solutions. more

Printing equipment manufacturer Heidelberg is bolstering its push for apprentices in the U.S. The call for new talent comes as many U.S. companies struggle to find workers, and the country saw record employee quit rates in recent months.   more

Today, the cost of every resource seems to be increasing in the newspaper industry. Now, more than ever, it is essential for the industry to come together to form unique solutions. One of those increasing costs comes from the United States Postal Service. However, even with their constant rate increases, postal delivery can be a bargain! more

At one time or other, everyone in the newspaper printing industry experiences sleepless nights worrying about running low on paper, plates, ink or one of the many consumables necessary for daily operation. Here's some advice on the transportation woes and labor shortages that compound supply-chain issues for pressrooms. more

It appears the United States Postal Service (USPS) is jumping on the bandwagon, adding one more financial and operational burden to newspapers nationwide. Effective Aug. 29, the Postal Regulatory Commission approved raising rates for newspapers to 9%. The National Newspaper Association (NNA) and News Media Alliance pushed back on these increases. more

There’s no shortage of leadership and can-do spirit in newspaper production departments and printing plants around the country. That’s what the industry revealed to the International Newspaper Group (ING) and Editor & Publisher (E&P), co-sponsors of the 2021 Operations All-Stars Awards, which this year received four times the number of nominations compared to the previous year. more

Our relationships with external printing customers should be a partnership, with both sides benefiting. We must provide customers with quality reproduction, reliability and fair pricing. At the same time, our customers must understand that our expenses continue to rise, and as a result, we need to occasionally adjust pricing to remain competitive. more

Moving print operations can be one of the most challenging decisions any property has to make. It affects employees, readers and advertisers throughout our communities. It requires a tremendous amount of consideration and preparation and many agonizing hours reviewing financial options. more

Throughout my many years in the newspaper industry, I’ve strived to be a forward thinker. Spending time on what was or could have been doesn’t get us too far both in our industry and life in general. Over the last few years particularly, we’ve all been challenged to maintain an optimistic outlook for newspapers. more

Throughout the pandemic, many of our main offices and print facilities that were normally open to the public shut down. Signs appeared on front doors telling walk-in customers we were temporally closed to the general public and customers were either directed to call or conduct business online. During these trying times, many of our employees fielded phone calls from home, and we did our best to conduct business as seamless as possible. more

From pre-press to post-press, vendors continue to partner with newspapers, allowing us to improve quality and efficiencies. As our industry experiences sharp declines in revenue and circulation, these changes affect our bottom line, and our suppliers have fought right along with us. more

Once pages and files are released to platemaking, there are several areas throughout the process that must work together to produce the final product and get it into the hands of readers. Typically, when the printing is complete, the focus quickly turns to one of the most critical areas of any production department—the mailroom. more

The Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston, S.C. has announced the purchase of a 2008 Goss Magnum Single Width Press, originally housed in Skelleftca, Sweden. According to a press release, the press is currently being dismantled, crated and transported via container ship to the U.S. with an expected arrival time of March 2021. more