NewsBeat

February 2023 NewsBeat 4 By JUDY PATRICK In Syracuse suburbs, Eagle Newspapers finding success with subscription soft sell I f you've ever wondered if subscribers would pay for their newspaper if they didn't have to, Dave Tyler, the publisher of Eagle Newspapers in central New York, has an answer for you: Yes. Tyler's business model is based in part on the goodwill of his readers. Its success, while limited, offers hope to all who love newspapers. Here's how it works: The Eagle Newspa- pers' five weeklies are distributed to people who have requested them. The initial 3-year subscription is free, after which subscrib- ers are asked to make voluntary contribu- tions to help keep the papers afloat. "A basic subscription to the Baldwinsville Messenger remains free, but if you see the value and have the ability, we are asking you to provide Enhanced Support with a contribution of $26 (50 cents per week), $52 ($1 per week), or any other amount you feel is appropriate," a post on the Mes- senger's website read in example. The soft sell seems to be working. About 35 percent of renewals pay something. Oc- casionally, an elderly person will tuck a $5 bill into a note and send it in along with some words of appreciation but the aver- age payment is a more robust $37. For someone like Tyler, who has put his heart and soul into the operation, the re- sponses are good for the spirit. "My favor- ite time of the day is when the mail comes in and I get to read the little notes our readers send in, telling us what the paper means to them," Tyler said. The papers also mean a lot to Tyler, who finds himself a publisher who also works as a reporter. He had, during our conversa- tion one early January afternoon, already written three planning board stories from a meeting he covered the night before. Tyler began his career as a reporter and, as he moved up into management, con- tinued to write occasionally. But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and he was forced to lay off a few people "I had to take on a few beats," he said. He concedes that it's much easier to de- velop sources and get calls returned when you're publisher. But he returned to report- ing because it's fun, it's important and it's needed. Years ago when he entered Colgate Uni- versity, he majored in history and wanted to be a high school teacher. That changed when he began work on the college paper, The Maroon News. In his junior year, he wrote a sports column and dreamed of cov- ering the Red Sox for The Boston Globe. After graduating, he learned his local paper, then the Eagle News, didn't need a sportswriter. But they did need someone to cover town board meetings. He began as a freelancer, earning $15 to $20 depending on article length. By 1998, at the age of 27, he was exec- utive editor of a group of 15 newspapers. "We had a young team," he explained. Over the years, he stayed on through owner- ship changes and consolidation, becoming general manager in 2006 and publisher in 2008. Today, The Eagle Newspapers' portfolio includes the Cazenovia Republican, Eagle Bulletin, Baldwinsville Messenger, Eagle Star-Review and Press-Observer. Since 2011, they have also published Syracuse Woman, a monthly full-gloss magazine. There's also a regular supply of special sections from The village of Cazenovi is home to one of The Eagle's most successful papers. Founded in 1808, the Republican is the oldest continuously operating business in Madison County.

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