That California Daily That Gave Up Printing On Mondays Then Moved To Three Times A week, Now Is Going Twice A Week – So Much For That Experiment

Philip M. Stone March 11, 2008

The daily Tracy Post in California’s San Joaquin Valley took a “Mondoliday” back in February, 2006, with the Monday – Saturday paper switching to Tuesday-Saturday in print, although the web site continued seven days a week with increased coverage on Mondays.

It was a move that was closely watched by the US newspaper industry. Monday was recognized as the weakest publishing day for advertising – so why not give up Mondays in print and increase Monday web coverage? Did it work? Seems not.

Last September the newspaper reduced print publication even more to just three days a week -- Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday – but that didn’t  work either and the newspaper has now announced it’s down to twice a week – Wednesday and Saturday. Newspapers usually have their worst advertising days on either Monday or Tuesday, so it is concentrating on print’s best days.

One reader commented, “When I came to town 30-plus years ago, it was two days a week. Now they’re going back. It’s a sign that things are bad in general.”

The 19,350 free circulation newspaper has competition from two other daily newspapers in the area, and all have recently cut back on staffing. In a note to readers Tracy Press owner Robert Matthews blamed the economy for the cutback. "Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of waiting out this slow period. The Press has been in business for almost 110 years, as a weekly and as a daily, and our family doesn't plan to go away anytime soon. But to keep going, we have to make cuts at the same time that we strive for solutions."