The Banner-News is marking its last daily print edition today and gearing up for morning digital delivery six days a week. A comprehensive print edition will be available each Wednesday.
In rolling out digital delivery this Saturday, the newspaper will be adding an extra day of coverage on Saturdays and shifting its publication schedule from afternoon to morning to deliver content sooner, General Manager Sue Silliman said.
“We are excited about this change,” Silliman said. “Times are changing, and we have to deliver news the way the majority of our readers want it.”
WEHCO Publisher Walter Hussman Jr. announced the change in January, citing the national trend in digital delivery of news and the need to transition to that platform to make the Banner-News a sustainable product for years to come.
Hussman said subscribers would see an increase in the amount of relevant news delivered to their doorsteps on Wednesdays – and a new and improved website that is more user-friendly to enjoy digital content: www.magnoliabannernews.com.
In addition to news features, the Wednesday print edition will include all the obituaries since the last print edition; all crosswords, crypto quips and sudokus for the week; editorials and staff columns; and all the sales papers and inserts.
Breaking and current news will be available each publication day in the digital edition, which continues the Banner-News tradition of providing more local news than readers can find anywhere else. Arkansas news coverage will continue in the digital edition.
Newspaper content will be delivered digitally via the website or through an app featuring a newspaper replica, available for download on smart phones and tablets. The app edition will feature a two-page news brief. It will have local and Arkansas news, as well as obituaries.
“The biggest change you will see is we are shifting from an afternoon delivery to a morning delivery,” Silliman said, which allows readers to start their day with current news. “Your paper will be there when you get up. Time not spent on layout of a traditional paper every day will allow our reporters to deliver more news to you.”
The shift to digital delivery of news also will allow the Banner-News to add another day of coverage. Readers will see the return of a Saturday digital edition, which will feature both news and sports coverage of Friday night high school sports.
Silliman said the Banner-News remains committed to be the community’s best source for local news and advertising. Readers are encouraged to contact the paper with news tips and story ideas via email at [email protected], or call the office at 870-234-5130.