As some are aware, the grocery inserts are disappearing in newspapers and customers are being forced online to retrieve any savings on their shopping.
This is happening at community newspapers across the Texas Panhandle and state.
The problem - customers are not happy about it. Many do not want to rely on cell phones and the internet to simply get some savings and see current product sales before shopping. We are hearing it from people almost every day.
To be clear - this change was not brought about by The Castro County News or any other newspaper – it was purely a decision from grocery chain owners. Our pricing for insertion of pre-printed circulars has not been raised in years. While the costs of goods, printing and transportation have increased for grocery stores, none of these increases have been driven by newspaper advertising costs, but unfortunately have been lumped into the budgeting problem.
Customers who are unhappy with the grocery chain decisions should contact the local grocery store managers about their concerns. You can also try to contact corporate offices.
Too often, corporations make decisions that inconvenience many of their customers - and it is happening, going by reports we are getting at our office.
Large corporations and companies often minimize just how critical the local newspaper is for many readers and the exposure they receive from these inserts. Advertising in newspapers does reach a broad readership.
Community newspapers are a valued resource in rural areas. They offer news about local government, elections, local calendars of events, high school sports and other news about the people who live and thrive in these small towns in Texas – things that will never be found by simply Googling a place or name or in the national media. In recent years, The Castro County News has weathered the COVID pandemic that shut down of many businesses, and endured mandates, just like other newspapers in the region. We are still here.
Then came the print copy shortages, supply chain issues, and dramatic increases in publication and delivery costs, and now the current high inflation. We are still here.
With all the challenges facing newspapers – we are still here. And we don’t plan on going anywhere or becoming a distant memory of what was.
Our readership is increasing, and advertisers are offered both print and internet campaign options – the best of both worlds. There are still many people who don’t want to read a newspaper online and still appreciate holding that print edition in their hands. They still like cutting that clipping out of the newspaper when their child is honored or does something special at school. They still want to cut the obit out of the paper for their loved one to tuck away for future generations to read.
We send newspapers to subscribers from coast to coast – former residents and relatives of those in Castro County. We are still here to serve every reader who values a newspaper that still thrives on a “free press” not driven by corporations, biases and agendas seen in the national media.
Community newspapers are about YOU. Our readers and advertisers, every citizen, student and teacher, farmer and business owner are the heartbeat of the news.
We are the messengers. We are still here.