Who says print is dead?
The Chesterfield Observer, a weekly newspaper that has been operating since 1995, is moving into a bigger building and printing 26 percent more copies of each issue.
This month the Observer acquired a 3,000-square-foot building in Market Square off Hull Street Road. The weekly paper has been in a smaller office in Oak Lake Business Park in Midlothian since 2006.
“We intend to expand our news operation, and we had to have more space to do that,” said owner and publisher Greg Pearson.
Pearson said they’ve been looking for the past year and a half for a bigger space to add to the staff and because of a recent jump in advertising sales.
Pearson wouldn’t disclose revenue numbers but said the paper saw a 5 percent increase in revenue last year.
Pearson said their ad sales are up 35 percent from three years ago and that the paper has started mailing the newspaper to two new Zip codes: 23235 and 23236.
“We had a number of advertisers in the Bon Air area that wanted to reach these Zip codes,” he said.
The Observer originally distributed to seven Zip codes in Midlothian, Chesterfield and Chester. The new areas will serve Bon Air, Smoketree, Stonehenge, Bexley and other areas.
Because of the ad sales and adding the two new Zip codes, the paper has increased its circulation to 70,000. That’s a 27 percent increase from last October’s audit report, when the paper was distributing just over 55,000 copies per week.
“We’re filling a niche. Chesterfield County is the largest county population-wise,” Pearson said.
The paper plans to raise advertising rates in May to pay for the circulation increase, Pearson said.
“This will make us the number one weekly newspaper in the state, in terms of circulation,” he said.
“Weekly newspapers aren’t increasing circulation even if they’re free,” he said.
Pearson said he’s brought on two new employees for the new location and plans to continue increasing its staff over the next few years. The office is expected to be up and running by mid-June.
Tom Mullen, a journalism professor at the University of Richmond, said the Observer is bucking the trend in the newspaper business.
“Most places are down or flat, but it’s a mixed bag all over the place,” Mullen said.
“Newspapers that are doing well tend to be free and have really good content, not just fluff,” he said.
“My hunch is the reason is they offer a lot, they cover the county from one end to the other. Everything from hard news to soft features.”
Who says print is dead?
The Chesterfield Observer, a weekly newspaper that has been operating since 1995, is moving into a bigger building and printing 26 percent more copies of each issue.
This month the Observer acquired a 3,000-square-foot building in Market Square off Hull Street Road. The weekly paper has been in a smaller office in Oak Lake Business Park in Midlothian since 2006.
“We intend to expand our news operation, and we had to have more space to do that,” said owner and publisher Greg Pearson.
Pearson said they’ve been looking for the past year and a half for a bigger space to add to the staff and because of a recent jump in advertising sales.
Pearson wouldn’t disclose revenue numbers but said the paper saw a 5 percent increase in revenue last year.
Pearson said their ad sales are up 35 percent from three years ago and that the paper has started mailing the newspaper to two new Zip codes: 23235 and 23236.
“We had a number of advertisers in the Bon Air area that wanted to reach these Zip codes,” he said.
The Observer originally distributed to seven Zip codes in Midlothian, Chesterfield and Chester. The new areas will serve Bon Air, Smoketree, Stonehenge, Bexley and other areas.
Because of the ad sales and adding the two new Zip codes, the paper has increased its circulation to 70,000. That’s a 27 percent increase from last October’s audit report, when the paper was distributing just over 55,000 copies per week.
“We’re filling a niche. Chesterfield County is the largest county population-wise,” Pearson said.
The paper plans to raise advertising rates in May to pay for the circulation increase, Pearson said.
“This will make us the number one weekly newspaper in the state, in terms of circulation,” he said.
“Weekly newspapers aren’t increasing circulation even if they’re free,” he said.
Pearson said he’s brought on two new employees for the new location and plans to continue increasing its staff over the next few years. The office is expected to be up and running by mid-June.
Tom Mullen, a journalism professor at the University of Richmond, said the Observer is bucking the trend in the newspaper business.
“Most places are down or flat, but it’s a mixed bag all over the place,” Mullen said.
“Newspapers that are doing well tend to be free and have really good content, not just fluff,” he said.
“My hunch is the reason is they offer a lot, they cover the county from one end to the other. Everything from hard news to soft features.”