Dear Readers,
Over 20 years ago, Tom Reid founded the Bayport Blue Point Gazette as a way to help his neighbors and build up his hometown. Since then, the Gazette has arrived in our mailboxes, month after month, loudly cheering on our children’s sports wins, celebrating our school district, and supporting our local businesses and civic associations. Nothing makes us happier than when someone is thrilled to spot their kid in the paper or is touched by the coverage of their achievements. It’s more than a job to us, it’s a labor of love.
In the past 12 months alone, over 300 local print publications across the nation have been forced to close their doors forever due to a massive decrease in ad revenue. These aren’t the New York Times or Wall Street Journals of the world, backed by large multimedia conglomerates. We’re talking about publications just like the Gazette - family-owned free papers that bring you the stories closest to your home and to your heart. The sad truth is, without an increase of support from local businesses, the Gazette is facing the same fate. Over the last year our printed advertisements, which entirely pays for our paper, has fallen considerably. We cannot sustain the Gazette if this continues.
When you advertise your business with the Gazette, you’re doing more than just selling your brand to our 14,000 recipients. You also become an active partner in maintaining one of the last remaining sources of free local community news. You help provide our towns with a beloved tradition we need now more than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic was damaging to us all. Physically, emotionally, and financially. But there’s reason to hope that our best days are still ahead.
This news comes at a time when great things are happening here! We are excited to say that in the past 3 months, our website viewership has more than tripled. The April issue has received more letters to the editor praising our work than any edition in our publication’s history. We’re investing in better content and adapting our coverage to reflect an ever-changing media landscape. And yet the fundamental values that are at the core of everything we do remain exactly the same; we are a collection of good stories-good towns-and good people.
With your support, we hope to be able to continue that way for a long time.
Please contact us at gazettecentral@yahoo.com.
Sincerely,
The Gazette
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