We are operating in unprecedented and challenging times. Over the last few years of newspapering, our business models have been constantly tested, and we found ourselves adapting in order to maintain profitability and to continue to fund community journalism. We are grateful to our many customers and loyal readers that adapted with us and continue to support our high-value community news and information.  

Today, we need your help more than ever, as the global newspaper industry is facing perhaps its greatest challenge to date.  

The COVID-19 crisis has negatively affected so many of our families, friends and businesses. As many of our long-term customers are shuttering their businesses and/or reducing their spending, we are again having to pivot our business model in order to continue to fund community journalism and publish in Hall County. 

Newspapers all over the world are all feeling the economic pain. Some are reporting revenues down more than half as a result of COVID-19 crisis.

Having suffered a rapid erosion in advertising dollars ourselves, we are having to make sustainable changes to our publishing cycle and the way we do business. 

Starting this week, our print newspaper will be mailed to our print subscribers’ homes and delivered in their mail on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The content you are accustomed to receiving on Sundays will be in the weekend edition and will be delivered to your home via U.S. Mail on Saturdays. Both editions will have all the local news our journalists continue to report daily. 

We will continue digitally publishing The Times on Tuesday through Saturday, and will update our website daily with news and community information. 

This is a tremendous change to the way we have done things in the past, but we believe it will allow us to have a sustainable model for years to come.  

Again, thank you for being a loyal reader and subscriber to the Times. Without your support and patronage, we would not have a business, and we recognize that.  

Our journalism and reporting is here to stay, and as the virus abates and the economy improves, we hope to add to our content offerings and expand on our reporting.  

Again, thank you, and if you have suggestions for improving what we do, please do not hesitate to contact us at suggestions@gainesvilletimes.com or 770-532-1234.

If you haven't activated your online access yet, please watch this short tutorial on how to create your online profile. All print subscribers receive unlimited digital access to our website, our apps and the ePaper. 

Charles Hill Morris Jr.

Owner of The Times