In a trend increasingly seen with small newspapers nationwide, the West Valley View, a twice-weekly newspaper covering cities like Buckeye, Avondale and Goodyear, is cutting back printed copies from twice weekly to just one day a week.
An editorial in the papersaid the change comes from decreased advertising revenue.
Publisher Elliott Freireich said in an email cutting back on delivery will lower costs and will not cut down on the total weekly news.
Arizona State University professor Tim McGuire teaches the business of journalism and the future of media. He said fewer advertising dollars can lead to gaps in local news coverage.
“There’s got to be some way to make money off of local news, but if a place is being abandoned, what does it tell you if it’s not being supported by readers and advertisers?” McGuire said.
He said a lot of local newspapers are transitioning to mostly online coverage, but the need for local news is still there.
“There may not be a demand for local news, if there is, some other people will start stepping into the market. What happens in this time of profound change, a lot gets destroyed but a lot of new stuff gets created," he said.
The newspaper will make the switch to publish once a week in mid-December.
