Advocate-Messenger to print twice weekly 

In response to unprecedented economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Advocate-Messenger next week will begin publishing two print editions a week  ― a midweek edition on Tuesdays and a weekend edition on Fridays.

Daily news coverage will be delivered at amnews.com, which has seen record traffic in the last 30 days and a surge in new subscribers as consumer preference for online news accelerates.

The Advocate, like every newspaper in the world, has seen a sharp drop in print advertising as nonessential businesses are closed and events are canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As of Thursday, nearly half of American newspapers had reduced their print frequency or had immediate plans to do so, according to a survey of publishers by Cribb, Greene & Cope, a newspaper brokerage firm.

Bluegrass Newsmedia management announced the changes to the newspaper’s staff Thursday, noting that the reduction in print frequency allows The Advocate to avoid drastic cost-cutting actions like layoffs, furloughs and across-the-board pay cuts that many companies are implementing.

“Our news staff will remain busy as always, maybe even more than before. We will continue to bring you all of your local news during this unprecedented time in our lives,” Advocate-Messenger Editor Jeff Moreland said. “Although we are changing our print frequency, we will be as dedicated as always to cover the community in our print editions, and each day with updates to our website. The increase in audience at amnews.com indicates our readers are consuming news digitally now more than ever, and reducing print frequency allows us to meet them where they are.”

Print subscribers will receive the newspaper by mail on Tuesdays and Fridays, and copies will continue to be sold in sidewalk newsstands and retail outlets. Pages will be added to both weekly print editions.

The newspaper also will beef up its email newsletters, an increasingly popular way for readers to stay informed on a developing story like COVID-19.

Obituaries will be published online upon receipt from funeral homes, linked prominently in the next morning’s email newsletter and published in the next print edition. If you don’t already receive our email newsletter, send an email to newsletter@amnews.com and we’ll add you to the list. There’s no charge.

The cost of a print subscription, which gives a reader unlimited free access to amnews.com, will remain the same. Subscribers who previously paid in advance will receive the number of issues they paid for, just over a longer period. Readers are asked to voluntarily pay the same rate to help strengthen Danville’s newspaper during a time of unprecedented economic challenges.

If you have subscription-related questions, email us at circulation@amnews.com or call 859-236-2551. A customer service representative will respond.

“The Advocate-Messenger is no different than other businesses in the community, and tough decisions are necessary as we work through this uncertain time. We appreciate the support and trust from our community as we continue to be dedicated to serving Danville and Boyle County.”