Burlington Free Press cuts print publication to 6 days a week

The Burlington Free Press is ending publication of its Saturday print edition.

The newspaper still plans to publish articles that day, it said Wednesday, but only online. The change, which the newspaper attributes to “the rapid and continued shift towards digital news consumption”, will not result in layoffs of its press or sales staff, it said.

“I and the team of Vermont journalists remain committed to providing subscribers with unique and insightful news coverage,” the Free Press quoted its editor, Emilie Stigliani, as saying. “As the medium of delivery changes – Saturdays – journalism remains our focus and our mission.”

The Free Press is part of the USA Today Network, which is owned by the Gannett publishing house. The newspaper reported that other members of the network were making similar changes.

In response to a request for an interview with Stigliani, Gannett Lark-Marie Anton’s spokesperson provided a written statement.

“This decision better aligns our resources to maintain strong local relationships on our national network, to better serve our partners, and to accelerate our digital future holistically for the benefit of our loyal subscribers and advertisers,” Anton wrote. “We recognize and appreciate the deep loyalty of our long-time subscribers to our daily newspapers and are committed to delivering a quality product as we pursue our subscription-driven business strategy.”

Vermont daily newspapers have for years struggled with declining advertising and circulation revenues, as well as rising printing and distribution costs — and the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated those problems.

Other state newspapers, including the Rutland Herald, the Brattleboro Reformer and the Addison County Independent, have reduced their publication frequency. The Milton Independent, Colchester Sun, Essex Reporter and Hardwick Gazette have discontinued their print editions. And the company that produced the Waterbury Record has shut down the publication altogether.

The decline of Vermont’s print newspapers follows a national trend. The Poynter Institute reported last month that since 2004 about 1,800 newspapers have closed in the United States.

The Free Press, which once had the largest press staff and highest circulation of any newspaper in the state, has been shrinking for years.

Steve Terry, former editor of the Rutland Herald, on Wednesday recalled with nostalgia the days when the Herald and the Free Press battled for dominance.

“Those days are long gone,” Terry said.