Take a good look at The Citizen in your hands. Remember it fondly — next week, the ‘old? Citizen will be gone. Our July 7 edition will come out with a bang and a new, contemporary, easy to hold and read design.
Your Citizen will be 12-inches tall and 11.5-inches wide. The paper you are currently holding is 15-inches tall and 11.5 inches wide. The Citizen will have only one fold, versus the two folds in the current paper.
‘While not ahead of the industry curve, we’re not behind it either,? Publisher Jim Sherman, Jr., said. ‘Newspapers across the globe, even the Wall Street Journal, are putting out these contemporary tabloid products.?
Sherman said the change in paper size will cut down on waste that goes into landfills and help defray postage increases — savings will be passed on to consumers.
‘The cost of production and distribution is growing rapidly, yet the cost to advertise in The Citizen has remained unchanged for a good number of years — and we mail it free to every area address. We don’t want to price ourselves out of the market. This change will allow us to keep advertising rates attractive to local, mom and pop businesses — which I am sure they will appreciate.?
This conversion will also force our reporters and editors to write crisper, clearer and get to the point quicker. Our photo selection will also improve.
Also affected by the change are the Total Market Coverage publications, The Ad-Vertiser and The Penny Stretcher and the paid circulation weekly newspapers, The Oxford Leader, The Lake Orion Review and The Clarkston News.
‘Not affected will be our commitment to providing our community with the best-possible news coverage and the best way for local businesses to connect with local residents. We will not reduce editorial content. It’s a big change for us. It’s a little scary, but exciting, too. I think the readers and advertisers will really like it.?