"Terribly frustrating": After USPS changes, more newspapers aren't reaching subscribers on time

"Many publishers first noticed the complaints spike last summer. The subscriber whose weekly newspaper arrived five days late. The subscriber who received no issues for three weeks in a row, then three issues on the same day a month later. The subscriber not receiving newspapers at all. These are examples of the frustrations local publishers in Maine, Michigan, South Dakota, and Virginia told me they're hearing from subscribers and peer publishers."

"Especially for weekly publishers in smaller, rural markets, USPS delivery has long been the cheaper, lower-lift alternative to the carriers many metro dailies still pay to perform the classic morning ritual of tossing newspapers onto porches and lawns. Some newspapers have been delivered by mail for decades, some for centuries, and some have only switched from carrier to USPS in the last few years, looking to cut costs at the margins, reduce print days."

"USPS delivery may save most rural publishers money compared to carriers, but it isn't cheap. The Postal Service - a system as old as the country - is losing billions of dollars per year, and as part of its efforts to break even, it has significantly hiked its rates. President Trump has insulted the system and mused about privatization, though the current postmaster has committed to preserving the agency's independence."

Local and rural newspapers are experiencing severe USPS delivery problems, including late deliveries, missing issues, and multiple issues arriving together. Subscribers have reported delays as long as two months and publishers across states like Maine, Michigan, South Dakota, and Virginia have received frequent complaints. Many weekly publishers rely on USPS as a lower-cost alternative to private carriers and some recently switched to mailing to cut costs, reduce print days, and avoid carrier management. The Postal Service is losing billions annually and has significantly increased rates as part of efforts to break even. Political controversy and international postal changes have compounded operational pressures.

Read at Nieman Lab