It is a long story of a lot of changes in the newspaper business. The short version is that the cost of the raw paper, big rolls of it along with the printing on a huge press, and the costs of all the types distribution, mail and hand delivery have gone up. The income from advertising has gone down. The rates for advertising had to be increased to pay the new level of billing. With the virus and higher advertising rates, the net income decreased. Cost was going up, income was going down. That means that the business break even point is going to be much harder to reach. What can be done?
Other options have to be considered and evaluated to get the valuable news information to our community regarding all the things going on. This means getting not only text but lots of pictures (worth a thousand words each) with the addition of video of meetings, events, and a lot of things that a PAPER can not provide.
Many years ago paper and distribution was very inexpensive. Newspapers made sense. Radio and television were not able to shut newspapers down. They had fixed scheduled times to get the news. We liked having that paper to get information when we had to time to read it. Radio and TV had fixed schedules that you had to work into your schedule.
It would be great if we could get all of news information that is available when we had the spare time to look at it. It would be great to get up to date news and information essentially as fast as it can be observed.
Our world has changed a lot in the last few decades. We now have iPhone and IPads, desk top and laptop computers all connected to the internet that can communicate, collect and spread information all over the world…in minutes. We are now seeing newspapers migrating more and more to the internet. It is a different way to look at the information transfer business.
The Fremont County Crusader web site.
Each whole newspaper is there with the 2 center pages of photos have been on our web site for years. You can go online to www.fremontcountycrusader.com, and see all the back issues of the actual paper that was printed with stories, photos and the advertisements. AND, you can view all of this on your portable device that connects to the internet.
But now, the internet offers some expanded options. The stories that were over 3,000 words and would cover 3 pages of paper, is now released from the constraints of a PAPER. Each story is separate with a limitless amount of electronic space for you to read. It is all there for you to read along with any and all related photos related to each story. You can select the stories from a list of all the stories from the first page on the website. You can copy the story and or the pictures and save them on your portable device to share with your friends.
What we are trying to do is get useful information circulated for all that want or need it.
If you want to see the cartoons, click on the cartoon button. You will not only see the current ones, you can also review the cartoons back in time.
But gosh there are videos of events that are recorded that you will never see on the paper. They will now be loaded up to the site so that you can see what actually happened.
All of what has been described is currently in process as you read this. Go to the website and take a look. This site will continue to be evaluated and hopefully be improved over time. Any suggestions will be gratefully accepted.
Because this site is no longer tied to the weekly schedule of a printer, the stories, photos and videos can be put on line as soon as they are completed. WOW.
Not only that, the potential distribution of readership now becomes essentially unlimited. People can follow the news from all over Colorado, any of the surrounding states and over the whole country.
You can check this news site whenever you want. But there is another option. If there are particular type of story or topic that you want with the latest information on you will not get it till you look for it on your device. However we are looking at having the ability to send you a text or email to notify you of a new story that you want to see. We are not there yet but are working on it.
This electronic method of distributing news is exciting. It opens up a lot of other new opportunities.
The news on the website is free for now. Some of the new extended features may have some cost related to them. We are still working on the many details of what we are dreaming about.
Our world is changing. We want to keep up constantly trying to get ahead of what is possible.
THE CRUSADER TEAM
Dream the impossible dream.
Fight the unbeatable foe.
Bear with unbearable sorrow.
Go where the brave dare not to go.
This is the quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far...
song from movie Don Quixote