The following excerpt note was sent out by the Akron Beacon Journal editor Michael Shearer:
I’m happy to report the number of digital-only subscribers to BeaconJournal.com more than doubled in 2020 and again in 2021 with a month left in the year.
As print readership continues to erode and advertising remains competitive, a stable base of digital reader support can halt or even maybe reverse the declines we’ve seen in newsroom staffing in Akron and elsewhere the past 20 years.
That’s why our team of local journalists tackled a series of critical changes as we began 2020 and sought to dramatically grow our digital subscriptions.
We flipped our daily routine to focus more on planning for the core website and our smart phone app. We developed new content for key audiences we need to connect with more to properly serve all potential readers. And we introduced subscriber-only content for our top journalism and largely exclusive reporting on the courts, high school sports and other high-interest topics.
If you’re already a subscriber, I thank you on behalf of our team. You’re helping us serve the community and play a vital role in our democracy. If you’re not a subscriber, I would ask you to give us a try.
Greater Akron, like every city in America, needs strong local journalism more than ever.
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