Sharp-eyed readers will note that this week’s print edition of lllinois Times is slightly smaller than previous issues. The page is an inch shorter, our concession to the Trump administration’s tariff on Canadian newsprint that went into effect earlier this year. Our printer, P&P Press of Peoria, held out for months before raising prices to pass along its higher costs, then negotiated with us so that the reduced page size absorbs much of the increase. At this point there is no need for higher ad rates or reduced circulation. Other newspapers, including many small-town community newspapers, have not been so fortunate, some requiring layoffs or even considering closing. This month the administration announced its decision to make the tariffs permanent. The Illinois Press Association, our trade group, objected. “It’s clear that this administration has no idea of the impact on our newspapers and the communities they serve,” IPA said. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO
This article appears in Aug 16-22, 2018.
