Record Well Worth the Price

To the Editor:

Ms. Citzler wrote a compelling report of the Feb. 2 panel discussion at the Lyric Theatre presenting some of the challenges small town rural newspapers are facing. These challenges have been present for years and I am sure are exacerbated with the ever increasing costs associated with providing excellent journalism in print form.

I just want to say in my opinion, The Fayette County Record, peer recognized as a best in class newspaper, can double the cost of subscriptions and I will continue to support the paper. Even a doubling of the subscription price from $64 to $128 a year would result in a per paper costs of slightly more than a dollar per newspaper edition. I have always been an early adopter, have my own mobile app for restoration enthusiasts, and would consider myself digitally comfortable. I can anticipate those that would say they can get all they need from digital media. But The Fayette County Record, in addition to all the value outlined by Ms. Citzler, provides easy access to a range of opinions and fact checked articles with a wide range of perspectives. I think that broad discourse is beneficial. And while there is advertising, the print form allows me to absorb the advertising relevant to me, (very little) while avoiding the ever present, never ending, and often intentionally confusing to navigate, click through ads that come with digital media. Additionally, the algorithm- driven digital media presents an increasingly narrowed offering of stories and “journalism” that mirrors my own thinking. I know what I think. I want to understand contrarian perspectives and what others think. While there is value in the availability of digital media, there is also value in the quality reporting that comes from The Fayette County Record.

Please, price the subscription where it needs to be for the enterprise to continue as a profitable going concern for years to come. And keep up the good work.

Sam Wilson La Grange