Lincoln, Omaha newspapers to stop printing 7 days a week

Nebraska’s two largest newspapers, the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star, have announced plans to reduce publication.

The two newspapers said Friday they will stop printing Monday editions beginning Nov. 3.

The announcement comes on the heels of massive layoffs last month by the papers’ owner, Lee Enterprises.

According to reports from current and former staffers, as well as social media posts, those cuts included eight journalists at the World-Herald, six at the Journal Star, two at the Columbus Telegram and one each at the North Platte Telegraph and Lexington Clipper-Herald.

Like many media companies, Lee Enterprises has been struggling financially, hit by a combination of increased operating costs and declining revenue from subscriptions and advertising.

In addition, the company was hit by a massive cyberattack earlier this year that it said it spent $2 million to recover from, and it also agreed to pay $9.5 million to settle an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit from subscribers.

In its current fiscal year, Lee has so far reported a net loss of more than $30 million.

In nearly identical columns, the editors of both the World-Herald and Journal Star said they will continue to produce an electronic edition of the newspaper seven days a week.

“Our commitment to delivering the news has not changed. Reporters and photographers will still produce crucial community content every day, and we will alert you to breaking news as soon as it develops,” both editors’ columns said.

“This change to the Monday publications allows us to focus on the products that readers are using the most.”

Most daily newspapers owned by Lee had already cut back print publication to either three or five days a week. And all papers in the chain had stopped publishing on holidays.

The Journal Star and World-Herald weren’t the only Lee papers to announce the change in print schedules Friday.

All the company’s papers that still publish seven days a week are dropping Monday print editions. That includes the Buffalo News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Quad City Times and Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The trend is not unique to Lee, either.

In August, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced it will cease its print product altogether at the end of the year.

Other newspapers that have cut back on the days they print in recent years include the Kansas City Star and Des Moines Register.

By way of full disclosure, Nebraska Public Media News Director Matt Olberding used to work for Lee Enterprises at the Lincoln Journal Star and Columbus Telegram.