Merced Sun-Star to change print days as digital transition evolves
The Merced Sun-Star is taking its biggest step yet on its journey toward a more digitally focused, sustainable future.
We will transition to a 24/7 digital product with three days of high-quality print editions beginning July 15.
The print editions will publish Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and be delivered by mail, arriving on the same day as publication, in most cases, alongside your regular mail delivery. The Sunday newspaper will arrive on Saturday because of the U.S. Postal Service’s delivery schedule. Single copies also will be available at select retail locations.
The digital edition will continue to publish seven days a week at mercedsunstar.com and in our digital app. And we’ll continue to publish news digitally throughout the day, every day.
This transition will also allow us to invest in making our digital experiences better, including a big update to the digital edition that I’m excited to share with you soon, and a new tool for commenting on stories.
This is another key move for us within the digital transition of the news industry — and a vital step toward the sustainability of The Sun-Star.
And we plan to be here for decades to come.
Some of you who have received the print edition for decades will be disappointed by these changes. We understand. But the world has changed — and, increasingly, Merced-area residents get their news from their phones, tablets and computers.
With that trend in mind, we’ve become much more digitally focused and have intensified that approach to where readers of mercedsunstar.com or our digital edition often see our best work before our print readers.
For The Sun-Star to continue to provide you with essential coverage of our community and unsparing investigative reporting, we must transform our business to thrive in 2024 and beyond.
Our staff’s commitment to the Merced-area community isn’t changing. They will continue to deliver in-depth reporting, investigative work and captivating stories.
In the past year we have:
Offered the latest in-the-know information on local business openings and closings, among our most popular offerings.
If you’re already a subscriber, thank you for supporting the work we do and investing in local journalism, and be sure to activate your digital access at mercedsunstar.com/activate.
If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider lending your support for the kind of strong, independent reporting that is critical to our democracy and the health of our community. The future depends on it.
In the coming days, subscribers will receive correspondence from our customer service team regarding next steps. That team can be reached at 800-540-4200.
Christopher Kirkpatrick, senior editor of The Merced Sun-Star, has been a journalist for more than 30 years. Contact him at ckirkpatrick@fresnobee.com
