For weeks, we asked readers what they want from the Falls City Journal, what they value most and what we must do differently to remain an essential part of this community.
You answered.
A total of 186 people completed our reader survey, including current subscribers and people who do not presently subscribe. We also held focus groups where everyone was encouraged to speak candidly about the newspaper, what they appreciate, what they skip and what they hope to see in the future.
We listened carefully. Now we are preparing to act.
The Journal will be making several changes in the coming months, including expanded youth coverage, a more active digital presence, more local features and changes designed to make better use of the limited space in each printed edition.
However, before we explain where we are going, we need to be honest about what it takes to produce this newspaper every week so you understand some of our changes.
A single copy of the Falls City Journal currently sells for $1.50. It costs us approximately $3 per copy to produce, print and distribute the newspaper.
That cost includes far more than paper and ink. It includes printing, postage and mailing expenses. It includes software, service subscriptions, graphic resources and other essential tools required to design, produce and distribute a modern newspaper. Those expenses come before all your other basic office expenses, leases, staff pay and “tech.”
A print subscription presently costs $55 a year, which works out to approximately $1.05 per week, or about 15 cents per day.
That price no longer reflects the actual cost of producing the newspaper.
Unfortunately, subscription prices will be increasing. We have not made that decision lightly and we know every household and business is watching its expenses. However, the current pricing structure is not sustainable if Falls City is to continue having a locally owned, locally staffed newspaper.
Our survey showed that readers understand the seriousness of the situation. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they would pay more if they knew the newspaper was struggling. Among current subscribers, 79% said they would pay more, and two-thirds of non-subscribers who responded indicated they would be willing to help. The survey also found that 80% of respondents were willing to pay at least $2 per issue.
We do not share those figures to pressure anyone. We share them because transparency matters. Readers deserve to know what it costs to produce the newspaper and why changes are necessary.
As of July 2026: A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola was listed at $2.49 at Hy-Vee. A specialty coffee can typically cost $6.00 or more.
A bottle of pop may be gone in 20 minutes. A cup of coffee while completely necessary may last through the morning. For $1.50, the Journal provides a week’s record of local government, schools, businesses, achievements, deaths, celebrations and community life.
At $2 per issue, the Falls City Journal would still cost less than many bottled drinks, specialty coffees and snacks. Two dollars buys one week of locally reported and verified news.
A $75 annual subscription would be $1.44 per weekly issue; $6.25 per month and 20.5 cents per day.
It costs the Journal nearly $3 to produce, print and distribute each copy, yet we currently charge only $1.50. Three dollars may purchase a drink or a snack. At the Journal, $3 nearly pays for the production and distribution of an entire newspaper containing the permanent record of one week in our community.
The clearest message from the survey and focus groups was that readers want more local people, local stories and local connections.
The five subjects receiving the greatest interest were obituaries and announcements (baby/wedding), feature stories, local government, local activities and school stories. Readers also expressed strong interest in historical photographs, human-interest stories, youth writing and more coverage of local businesses and community members.
Feature stories received particularly strong support. Readers want to learn more about the people, businesses, traditions, organizations and histories that make Richardson County distinctive.
We agree.
You will see more locally focused features in the newspaper. Some may be historical. Others may introduce readers to an interesting neighbor, a longtime employee, a volunteer, a business owner, a student, an artist, an athlete or someone making a difference.
Readers can help us find those stories.
We cannot know every person, project or idea worth covering. Readers are encouraged to email us, stop by the office or leave a note when we are away. A good feature idea does not have to involve a major award or a dramatic event. Often, the best stories begin with an ordinary person doing something extraordinary or simply something interesting.
But, this is a partnership. We would ask that events that we cover with stories be advertised.
This is your newspaper and we want the people of this community reflected throughout its pages.
One of the changes we are most excited about is a proposed page focused on local youth.
We hope to work with area schools, teachers, parents, organizations and students to feature photographs, classroom projects, achievements, artwork, writing and other activities involving young people. We hope the schools will be as excited to participate and work with us as we are to feature our local students.
Children deserve to see themselves and their accomplishments recognized in their hometown newspaper. Parents and grandparents also deserve a newspaper that preserves those moments in a permanent, printed record.
Adding new material means making difficult decisions about how we use space.
Based on reader feedback, the weekly church-information section has been removed from the printed newspaper and placed online. The printed church information occupies a significant amount of space that can be used for youth coverage, feature stories, photographs and other material readers requested.
This does not mean church news is unimportant. Churches remain a vital part of the community. The information will remain available, but it will be delivered in a format that allows us to use the printed newspaper more effectively.
The public-record page has also be tightened and better organized. Our editorial and opinion pages have been condensed so more space can be devoted to locally produced material.
We have also found a new crossword puzzle host who offers us movie reviews, entertainment stories, games and comics.
Not every change will happen immediately. Some require new partnerships, new technology or additional revenue. However, the work has begun as we are sure you have noticed in the new format of the paper.
One of the most promising ideas under consideration is an additional e-edition for digital subscribers.
This edition would give us space to publish material we cannot always fit into the printed paper, including additional photographs from community events, recipes and other items that may not have enough advertising support or available space for print.
A printed newspaper has physical limits. Every additional page increases printing and mailing costs. A second digital edition would allow us to provide more content without removing material from the weekly newspaper.
We have also met with a service that is going to change how the e-edition is delivered. Our goal is to make it possible for subscribers to receive the newspaper directly in their email inbox rather than requiring them to remember to visit a website and log in. We believe easier delivery is an important step toward making the Journal more accessible. If you are a current e-edition subscriber please keep an eye out for more information as this moves forward this month.
Readers also made it clear they want to hear from us more often between printed editions.
Seventy-four percent of survey respondents said they would like to see more newspaper content posted on social media. The Journal presently has approximately 5,600 Facebook followers and 336 Instagram followers, giving us an opportunity to reach readers throughout the week.
We are working to become more active on Facebook and Instagram with additional photographs, short videos, HS sports interviews and previews of stories appearing in the newspaper. Most stories may be available exclusively to subscribers. Our goal is not to replace the printed newspaper with social media. It is to use each platform for what it does best.
The newspaper will remain the complete, permanent record of the week. Social media can help us deliver timely information, introduce readers to upcoming stories and keep the community connected between editions.
Subscriptions are essential, but subscriptions alone cannot support a community newspaper. Local advertising makes local reporting possible. When a business purchases an advertisement, it is not simply buying space on a page. It is helping pay for coverage of city government, schools, sports, public records, local organizations, community events, elections and the people who call this area home.
The company who is going to change the way we deliver our E-edition will also be taking over our website to streamline the sign-up process, get articles online and on social media quicker. We are so excited about this change and hope you will be too. This month you will see changes and updates to our website. We will keep you updated on the process.
Our focus groups also told us that businesses are interested in more modern advertising choices. We are exploring options and attending classes that help us understand social-media advertising, sponsored videos, digital advertising, sponsorships and Facebook photo sponsorships. We want to give local businesses more ways to reach customers while continuing to offer professionally designed print advertising. When local businesses support the Journal, they support a newspaper that reports on their customers, employees, schools.
We are still learning, listening and looking for better ways to serve this community. We know we need to make a greater effort to hear from teenagers, young adults, parents and younger families as we plan the Journal’s future. We want the Falls City Journal to be a newspaper for people of every age not only those who have read it for decades, but also those who may be discovering community journalism for the first time.
If younger readers have ideas for stories, videos, social-media content, school coverage, community projects, youth columns or other ways to make local news more engaging, we are ready to listen. We also welcome suggestions from teachers, parents, students, young professionals and community organizations about how we can encourage more people to read, participate and become invested in what is happening locally.
Community journalism works best when the community takes part in it. That might mean suggesting a feature story, submitting a photograph, writing a guest column or “Say Your Piece,” helping us connect with students or simply telling us what would make the newspaper more useful to you.
We strongly encourage you to use the pages of our paper to “Say Your Piece.” Facebook can be great for a lot of things, but we found from our focus groups and surveys that the community does read the paper. It’s an excellent way to get information and ideas to the public. Take advantage of an excellent resource you have right here.
We will not get every change exactly right on the first try. We will continue to evaluate what works, make adjustments and evolve as our readers and community change.
The Journal has served generations of local families, but preserving that legacy requires us to reach the generations who will carry it forward. We are open to new ideas, ready to experiment and committed to building a newspaper that remains relevant, welcoming and valuable to everyone.
We can’t begin to express to you, our readers how important this newspaper is to us and how much we want to get this right for you.
Thirty-six percent of the people who completed our survey were not current subscribers. Their participation tells us that even people who do not presently receive the Journal consistently care about whether this community has a newspaper.
The Journal cannot survive on concern and good wishes alone.
It needs subscribers.
It needs people who purchase single copies.
It needs businesses and organizations that advertise.
It needs schools, clubs, churches and community members who send us information and photographs.
It needs readers who tell us when we are doing something well and when we need to improve.
We know asking people to pay more is difficult. We also know that disappearing quietly, reducing coverage or allowing the newspaper to become less useful would be worse.
We are choosing to invest in the future. We are choosing more local stories, more young people, more photographs, more digital access and more communication with readers.
We are choosing to change with the times while protecting what makes a community newspaper irreplaceable: locally verified information, public accountability and a permanent record of life in Richardson County.
You spoke, and we listened. Now we are asking you to move forward with us.
Subscribe. Purchase a newspaper. Advertise your business. Send us your story ideas. Share our work. Encourage your school, organization or employer to participate.
The Falls City Journal is your newspaper. With your support, it can remain that way for generations to come.