An open letter to the community

We want to thank the Fallbrook Regional Health District for supporting this COVID-19 special issue, as well as John Hine Mazda/ Subaru, our local Realtors, the chambers and ALL our advertisers.

As with previous disasters many Village News advertisers have had to close their doors and pull their advertising. It’s the same all across the country, and likely around the world. The Seattle Times wrote that, “While journalists may be performing an essential business, the business of journalism is facing an extinction-level threat.”

In Dallas, Editor Mike Wilson writes, “Now, newsrooms around the world are caught in the eye of the storm. Many alternative weeklies have stopped printing and laid off employees, while others have seen advertising decline sharply as businesses have stopped operating. Long-term, this crisis could have a devastating effect on the news industry’s bottom line.”

But because online readership has increased (130% for Village News) the positive spin is that some communities are increasing their support for their community papers. This is crucial for us right now.

Please stand with us as we continue to support our community and consider supporting us with a subscription. For those unable to afford $5.99 month, call us and we will work with you. Also, consider supporting our advertisers when purchasing anything whenever possible. By supporting us (and our advertisers), you are supporting Village News staff and every nonprofit, business, school, residence, student athlete, and helping us to serve as a watchdog on local government entities --- all for the price of a latte!

The only way for us to survive and thrive at this time will be because the community supported us with a substantial number of new subscriptions.

The truth is,

with enough support from our community,

we can withstand any disaster or economic downturn.

While half of American towns have lost their newspaper, there are other towns where 100% of residents support their paper. We hear how much people love Village News, but we need everyone to support it in a tangible way right now. You can subscribe by going to http://www.villagenews.com/subscribe.

Thank you again for being an incredible community. We love our community and we love our jobs! We believe we will get through this and be better and stronger afterward.

God bless us all,

Julie Reeder

Village News Publisher