I won’t surprise many of you to say that we’ve had some challenges in recent months in delivering the printed edition of The Plain Dealer in various neighborhoods.
I have a good feel for the extent of the problem. Many people, when they don’t receive a paper, write to me because they know my name and my email address. They are frustrated that something they consider part of their daily routine is missing.
I get frustrated, too. Knowing we have customers who very much want our product but are unable to get it is maddening.
We are victims of the same economic forces affecting many sectors, from nursing to teaching to mail delivery. We can’t find job candidates for all of the delivery positions. Our circulation team works feverishly to fill the openings and get you the newspaper. Some days, to deal with the shortage, they double up, resulting in email notices about the paper being delivered later in the day, which also aggravates readers.
We will continue to work to get the papers delivered, but in the meantime, I hope you’ll consider an alternative: Read the digital replica of The Plain Dealer on your mobile device or computer.
Ok. A bunch of you are immediately thinking, I don’t want it on a screen. I want the paper in my hands.
I hear that a lot. People say they get comfort from holding the physical paper. I’ve been reading books on a Kindle since the Kindle came out, but my son still wants the hard copy of the book. It’s a preference.
I get it. You pay for the paper. You want the paper. But while we sort out the challenges of delivering it, why not give the electronic edition a try for a few weeks. You might just find you like it.
I speak from experience. I have been in newspapers almost my whole life. I delivered them as a kid, have read them ever since and have worked in newsrooms for all of my adulthood. But about 10 years ago, I stopped reading the printed edition of The Plain Dealer. We changed our household subscription (Yes, I pay to subscribe like everyone else. No freebies here.) to digital only.
We’ve never looked back.
One benefit is that my wife and I can both read it at the same time. We don’t have to divide up and share sections. Another is that it is almost always there when we get up. In snow. When it’s windy. Whatever.
Also, it fits on a handy screen, yet you can expand the type size with a flick of your fingers. You can blow up photos to examine the details, which are crisper in digital form than on paper. You can go back over previous days to review articles you might have missed. You also get the Sun weekly newspapers there, as part of your subscriptions.
Consider, too, that it is good for the planet. If you like a curated collection of news articles, which is what the newspaper is, then getting it over phone lines as a bunch of electrons is far greener than the traditional way. You don’t need the power it takes to run the presses, the paper it is printed on or the gas it takes to deliver it. Same product, but delivered more efficiently.
I know a downside of the replica is about the crossword and other puzzles. But the other benefits, I think, outweigh that.
If you want a physical copy of the paper, we’ll work to deliver it as long as we can, but as much as I hear from people who want it that way, I also hear from people who made the switch and love the convenience. If you give it a go for a few weeks (A few days is not enough to become accustomed to it) you might find you like it more that you think.
You have full access to the digital replica if you subscribe to the print edition. All you need do is activate it at our online customer service portal. I note, though, that the software on that portal is being updated, and the portal is inactive until Monday morning. We’re working to make it more efficient.
On Monday, you can activate the e-edition by visiting https://myaccount.cleveland.com/
