‘Hello, Sonoma.’

We title our column today in contrast to the “Goodbye, Colorado” headline in the Rocky Mountain News, which ceased publication last week after 150 years of service to its community.
That such a venerable newspaper should decide to close its doors is yet another reminder of how difficult these times are. Especially for newspapers. CNN quotes media critic Eric Alterman as saying of the newspaper industry, “It’s in a free fall and nobody knows where the bottom is.”
Closer to home, the San Francisco Chronicle, founded in 1865, is also having financial troubles, losing a reported $50 million last year on its operations and threatening to close. Virtually every business in the country is taking a hard look at its operations, whether to stem losses or to preserve profitability. We here at the Sun are doing the same.
Our business plan has been unaffected by the move of several writers from our newspaper to our competitor’s. If anything, it reveals how our competitor viewed its own product, relative to ours. The strength of an effective organization is its ability to focus on mission, without depending on any one or several individuals.
As you read our pages, you’ll find that we have several new writers with fresh stories of their own to tell and insights of their own to share. There is a surfeit of talent here in Sonoma Valley, and we’re pleased to continue finding and offering it for our readers’ enjoyment and enlightenment.
That does, however, have to be within the context of the present recession. We had expanded last fall to publishing twice a week, with our characteristic optimism that the economic downturn would be short-lived; it is not. Conventional wisdom suggests that the further drop in the equity markets means tougher times ahead. And so as the economic contraction hits local businesses, as well as regional and national businesses, advertising budgets are contracting as a result.
We are returning, therefore, to publishing the Sun once a week, and we’ll continue with our Friday edition, as being of most benefit to our readers. First, this allows for full coverage of the week’s government meetings, typically held early in the week. Second, Friday morning delivery gives readers a chance to study The Guide section for the most up-to-date information about weekend cultural and entertainment events.
The new features we’d developed for the Tuesday edition of the Sun will be carried in the Friday edition, which will be expanded by a few pages to accommodate the additional content. We appreciate the continued support from local businesses, and we appreciate the enthusiastic reception so many readers give to our coverage of life here in Sonoma Valley.
The Sun remains committed to the ideal that transparency is key to representative government. The Sun remains committed to the premise that we build a stronger community by identifying and celebrating the values we have in common. The Sun remains committed to the mission of providing free news coverage throughout our community, bringing readers our view of …
Warmth. Light. Truth.