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Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor generic

Dear editor:

Having thought about the new schedule for the Coastal Courier, it dawned on me there appears to be a conflict in logic. Last year we paid $78 for a year’s subscription. That equates to 102 papers at two per week for a cost of 75 cents for paper.  Now you are changing to one paper per week which equates to 52 papers per year.  At the rate of $48 per year, that equates to a cost of 92 cents per paper.  This represents a cost increase of 29 percent. And don’t forget, that is for only HALF the papers. Increase the price and drop the service.  Seems counterproductive to me.

Of course you say “But you get both the paper copy and access to the digital copy.”  Let’s look at that.

For $48, I can get the printed and digital copy.  Can’t read the digital copy and hate the format, but those are my problems.  Then I can drop the paper copy and still get the digital copy for the same $48.  Wait a minute. I thought the reduced service and increased price was because the price of newsprint from Canada went up so high because of Trump! If that is the case why are you offering the free paper?  Trying to keep the fish wrap guy happy?

Then you changed to having papers delivered by the U.S. Post Office.  You announced a start date of April 1 but then started early.  Many of us quit getting papers. Why?  Because you started early, we never knew it, and the U.S. Post Office does not forward newspapers.   Of course when we came to the office to inquire, it was explained that something happened and you had to change early.  And you even gave me the last two issues. That was not the point.  I changed my mailing address with Coastal Courier and the newspapers actually arrived at my new address.

I have known Patty Leon for a long time. I have nothing but respect for her and several of the other folks at The Courier.  But I sure hope they have plans for new jobs, because at this rate, I don’t see the Courier being around much longer.

Charles Woodall

Hinesville



COURIER RESPONSE TO LETTER

Darrell Elliot, our company’s regional director of circulation which includes the Courier, shares his thoughts on subscription rates and delivery:

“The digital subscription is for 24/7 access at  Coastalcourier.com which includes the Edition. The website is more than just the E-Edition with fresh content posted as it becomes available without the wait for print to arrive. It is slowly become more common for weekly papers to charge the same price no matter the delivery format. The $48 price for the weekly printed paper is not half the previous price because we are not giving our customers half the paper.  We are only delivering it once per week but we are including 100 percent of the content you would find in the twice weekly paper all in one day so the reduction in price is only for the delivery not the content which has value; in spite of some people calling it a ‘fish wrapper.’”


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