The Worcester Telegram & Gazette will begin having its print editions delivered by the U.S. Postal Service in March, ending the use of carrier‑based home delivery.
The T&G will begin using the mail to deliver editions on March 23, according to a Friday notice published to its website. The paper cited the changing realities of the journalism industry, with consumers turning to online coverage to receive breaking news coverage.
“With the largest newsroom in Central Massachusetts and a history going back 160 years, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette is a vital community resource, and we are committed to living up to that responsibility,” Michael McDermott, executive editor of the T&G, said in the Friday notice.
Like many papers across the country, the T&G has seen drops in circulation and advertising. Its newsroom staff has shrunk by at least 75% since 2014.
As of October 2023, Sunday T&G paid print subscriptions were 11,000, down from 57,700 in March 2014.
USA Today Co., the New York-based firm which owns the paper, has already shifted to a mail delivery model for other papers it owns.
“For many years now, the printed newspaper has served as a culmination of the stories that will become our collective history, while our websites and mobile apps deliver the news of the day,” Michael Anastasi, senior vice president of local news for USA TODAY Co., said in the notice. “We know that by the time our informed readers pick up the paper, they know what happened yesterday – the print newspaper should provide additional context, to help readers better understand their community and the world around them.”
The T&G said the vast majority of subscribers should receive their newspapers on the same day of publication.
The move to relying on the USPS for delivery comes as newspapers across the country had reported issues with USPS deliveries of their papers, with some customers receiving their papers days late, and others not receiving them at all, according to NiemanLab. USPS has seen budget cuts and policy changes, as it continues to lose billions of dollars a year.
Worcester Business Journal’s bi-weekly print edition is delivered by USPS.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.
