By “Money can be exchanged for goods and services,” Homer Simpson‘s brain once tried to inform the dimwitted, goodhearted, animated father of three after he found $20.
And it’s true.
Shy of a beautiful day and personal relationships, most everything costs you something.
For more than two years, that has not been the case for folks who don’t have a subscription, but have picked up free copies of The Aberdeen Insider around town and in surrounding communities.
Sadly, those days will end after the Thursday, May 29 edition.
Yes, the complimentary editions are going away. Starting with the Thursday, June 5 edition, the Insider will be sold at select businesses and our office for $3 per copy, plus tax.
Why? There are a few reasons.
Firstly, the Insider has established itself as a reliable, dependable and credible news source. That has value, and we want to ensure we’ll be around well into the future. That, of course, takes revenue.
MORE: A note from Sid: Here’s why free Insider copies are now delivered Fridays
Secondly, because of such strong support from the community, our subscription numbers continue to climb. That means there just aren’t as many extras, which you may well have noticed in recent months if you’ve cruised around town trying to find a copy.
And lastly, we need to respect our paying subscribers who help us continue to produce a strong community newspaper every week. They’ve been footing the bill for a couple years now, and we want them to know how vital that is.
This wasn’t ever the plan, yet it seems like a logical next step.
So, now what?
Well, you can buy single editions, of course, but the good news is there are better deals to be had.
Want the paper delivered by mail each week to your home, business or post office box? That’s $95 a year, plus tax, or about $2 per copy. If you live in Aberdeen, you will usually get the Insider in the mail each Thursday, though there are exceptions, generally because of holidays.
Prefer your news online and accessible at all times of the day and night at your convenience? Again, $95, plus tax for a year.
Or, if you’re a bargain shopper, get both services — all of the online news you can handle and a weekly print edition — for $125 per year, plus tax.
Yes, those rates went up at the beginning of the year, but it’s still a heckuva price to keep up with important local news, government happenings, sports and other events; work on a few puzzles; check out the ads, classifieds and inserts; hear from our columnists; and get to know other folks across the region through feature stories.
We also have critical partnerships with other great news outlets, namely The Dakota Scout, South Dakota News Watch, South Dakota Searchlight and our sister paper, The Watertown Current. We exchange stories with all of those folks, which offers a great overview of not just what’s happening around Aberdeen, but across the entire state.
Simply put, The Aberdeen Insider is a great product for a reasonable price.
To those who have been supporting us with subscriptions, we extend our deep and sincere gratitude. We couldn’t have made it this far without you. And to others who have enjoyed our complimentary editions, we hope you see the value of community journalism produced right here in Aberdeen and consider getting a subscription.
Being able to keep up with credible, reliable news that affects your town, your neighbors and yourself comes at a cost. But so does ignorance.
To subscribe to The Aberdeen Insider, visit aberdeeninsider.com and click on the light blue menu item on the top right of the website, call us at (605) 226-3481 or stop by the office at 423 S. Main St. We’d be thrilled to help you out.
Again, because we can’t say it enough times, thank you!