NewsBeat

July 2017 NewsBeat 7 "Newspapers need to continue to capitalize on their Sunday print edition. It's not only about the content that is valued by the reader but the whole experience itself," Fuller said. "In today's world people talk about not having time for this or that, but on Sundays there is usually time to look at the paper. Even if someone may not have the time during the day, they can save it for later that night or the next morning since it's not necessarily all breaking news or deadline type news." Time Well Spent If there was a day to maneuver through the congested, oversaturated news market, Sunday would be the best day to it. The time factor is there, but it's just a matter of if newspapers can effectively capture the attention of potential readers and do so in a consistent manner. At The Sunday Times in London, a recent advertising campaign accentuated why that valuable time should be spent with their Sunday paper. Called "It all starts with The Sunday Times," the campaign appears across TV, radio, print, film and online platforms. "Sundays are now a day of action rather than relaxation and we are now making decisions for the days, weeks and years ahead," Catherine Newman, chief marketing officer, said in an announcement. "The Sunday Times is uniquely positioned to help its readers make those decisions by providing them with actionable information and ideas. That is why our readers are a uniquely engaged and loyal audience who spend over 93 minutes with the paper." Back in the U.S., newspapers are finding that the Sunday print product is still an attractive option for readers before they start the work week as well. Lynn Hamilton first joined the Arkansas Democrat more than four decades ago, and was there to witness what he describes as a "newspaper war" with the Arkansas Gazette. The "war" ended in 1991 when the assets of the Gazette were sold to WEHCO Media Inc., parent company of the Democrat. The paper was then renamed the Arkansas Democrat- Gazette. A considerable factor of importance for the surviving paper, Hamilton said, was the strength of the Sunday edition. "The readership in that Sunday paper was a big part of the reason that we were able to survive that war," said Hamilton, who now serves as president and general manager. "Frankly, it's just traditional for us to put out a really good Sunday print product." He acknowledged that the paper had "more Sunday subscribers by far" compared to daily subscribers, and estimated that number to be somewhere between 140,000 and 145,000. For Hamilton, the Sunday experience offers more than just the physical act of holding something in your hands. "If you look at the trend on e-books, people have tried them and now sales of those devices are going down because a printed book is truly easier to read. We feel newspapers are the same way," he said. "You can open up a broadsheet page and quickly see all the headlines in front of you instead of scrolling around on your iPad. Eventually, there may be some digital device that is invented that comes along that clearly is superior but it's not out there yet." So what exactly makes their Sunday product standout? Sunday editor Terry Austin alluded to the trust their readers have, and can take comfort in, with the paper that arrives at their doorstep. "We've always tried to do the same thing: Give readers as much world, national, political, state, county and local news, sports and more as we possibly can, keeping it up to date and free of slant and misinformation. The rise of social media and internet sites makes that job much harder and all the more vital," Austin said. "Our Sunday paper helps break through the minefield of distorted reports." A similar mantra rings true at the Dallas Morning News, where readers are provided with a sizeable amount of news content. "When we compare our news hole to other newspapers in the country, we are very near if not at the top of the number of columns of news that we publish on Sundays throughout the year," said Jim Moroney, publisher and CEO. "I think in a lot of ways that Sunday edition gives your subscribers a sense of how your business is doing, and the health of the paper as a whole." Meanwhile, some newspapers have expanded their Sunday print editions in neighboring markets. Last November, the South Bend Tribune in Indiana began publication of the Elkhart Connection, a six to eight-page broadsheet consisting of columns, features and Q&As regarding the nearby city of Elkhart and Elkhart County. The special section is inserted into the Tribune's Sunday paper and delivered to roughly 3,000 subscribers in Elkhart County. "We chose the Sunday paper as the home of Elkhart Connection because of its broader circulation scope and expanded news, enterprise, sports and feature coverage," said Michael Wanbaugh, local news editor. "Our top objective was to create a buzz in the Elkhart community with our coverage, and the feedback we've received thus far is encouraging."

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