Dear Readers,
I constantly hear laments about the loss of the paperboy. I was a paperboy as were my brother and my sisters (papergals, I guess you would say). A day does not go by that I don’t meet someone who used to deliver the paper on their bicycle or sell it on the street corner. It was not only a growth experience for a young person to help them understand the responsibilities of having a job but also gave the public a touch point with the newspaper.
Since we changed to a morning paper and need to get it to you before 5 a.m., it does not allow for the use of paperboys. I have to believe this has in part, added to the decline in circulation, not having a local kid come by and solicit subscriptions.
We have been fortunate and have not been impacted in the way the major metro daily newspapers have with dramatic declines, but we have not been immune. As of late we have become aggressive in growing our readership with a focus on home-delivered subscriptions.
We arrived at a creative solution that could allow the public to have a chance to review the changes we have made in the paper, provide a fund-raising opportunity and give more exposure for our advertisers.
In the month of March we have teamed up with the Boy Scouts of Troop 4076 to help them raise funds to send the scouts to their summer camp in Mount Rushmore, S.D. We have targeted the Sandalwood Glen area of Imperial (about 300 homes) with a monthlong sampling of the paper. On March 31 the Boy Scouts will canvass the area to offer these people a subscription to the paper. The Boy Scouts will keep 50 percent of anything they collect.
It is a real win/win for all involved. The public wins because they get to see the paper which, I feel, has undergone a dramatic change in the past year to become a hyper-local, community-friendly paper. It is a win for the Boy Scouts who have an opportunity to raise money to go on their summer trip, which for many will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It also will serve as a great recruiting tool for the Boy Scouts who are looking to open a troop in Imperial. It is a win for our advertisers who want to reach as many homeowners as possible. And, of course, a win for the paper. We want to have as wide a readership as possible.
We look forward to the results of the inaugural subscription drive. If you are one of the households visited by the Boy Scouts we hope you sign up for the paper. Even if you don’t want the paper please feel free to donate to help send a Scout to Mount Rushmore.
Sincerely,
Gerard Delaney
P.S. If you have a charitable organization and would like to participate in this program, please call Sam Rice at 760-337-3427.
THE ISSUE Partnering with Boy Scouts of America Troop 4076 this month
WE SAY Solution helps Scouts raise money and membership, and gives community an idea of what IV Press is today.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? Send us your thoughts on this topic to www.ivpressonline.com/letterstotheeditor
I constantly hear laments about the loss of the paperboy. I was a paperboy as were my brother and my sisters (papergals, I guess you would say). A day does not go by that I don’t meet someone who used to deliver the paper on their bicycle or sell it on the street corner. It was not only a growth experience for a young person to help them understand the responsibilities of having a job but also gave the public a touch point with the newspaper.
Since we changed to a morning paper and need to get it to you before 5 a.m., it does not allow for the use of paperboys. I have to believe this has in part, added to the decline in circulation, not having a local kid come by and solicit subscriptions.
We have been fortunate and have not been impacted in the way the major metro daily newspapers have with dramatic declines, but we have not been immune. As of late we have become aggressive in growing our readership with a focus on home-delivered subscriptions.
We arrived at a creative solution that could allow the public to have a chance to review the changes we have made in the paper, provide a fund-raising opportunity and give more exposure for our advertisers.
In the month of March we have teamed up with the Boy Scouts of Troop 4076 to help them raise funds to send the scouts to their summer camp in Mount Rushmore, S.D. We have targeted the Sandalwood Glen area of Imperial (about 300 homes) with a monthlong sampling of the paper. On March 31 the Boy Scouts will canvass the area to offer these people a subscription to the paper. The Boy Scouts will keep 50 percent of anything they collect.
It is a real win/win for all involved. The public wins because they get to see the paper which, I feel, has undergone a dramatic change in the past year to become a hyper-local, community-friendly paper. It is a win for the Boy Scouts who have an opportunity to raise money to go on their summer trip, which for many will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It also will serve as a great recruiting tool for the Boy Scouts who are looking to open a troop in Imperial. It is a win for our advertisers who want to reach as many homeowners as possible. And, of course, a win for the paper. We want to have as wide a readership as possible.
We look forward to the results of the inaugural subscription drive. If you are one of the households visited by the Boy Scouts we hope you sign up for the paper. Even if you don’t want the paper please feel free to donate to help send a Scout to Mount Rushmore.
Sincerely,
Gerard Delaney
P.S. If you have a charitable organization and would like to participate in this program, please call Sam Rice at 760-337-3427.
THE ISSUE Partnering with Boy Scouts of America Troop 4076 this month
WE SAY Solution helps Scouts raise money and membership, and gives community an idea of what IV Press is today.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? Send us your thoughts on this topic to www.ivpressonline.com/letterstotheeditor
