Star-Ledger will stop printing newspapers on Saturdays

Rising costs and reduced demand for old-fashioned newspapers have led the already struggling Star-Ledger to announce that they will stop printing newspapers on Saturdays in 2024 and instead rely entirely on their digital edition.

Two other NJ Advance Media newspapers, the Times of Trenton and the South Jersey Times, will also drop their Saturday print newspapers.  The Jersey Journal is already a six-day paper and does not print on Sundays.

“The decision to eliminate the Star-Ledger’s Saturday print edition was made after careful consideration,” said Wes Turner, an Advance Local executive.  “With the continually decreasing revenue and circulation volumes of the Saturday print edition compared to the resources and costs to produce, this change allows us to align our manufacturing resources on the remaining print editions.”

But a notice that appeared in today’s online edition said the new print schedule won’t result in any layoffs.  The Star-Ledger reporting staff is already less than a third of where it was two decades ago, and print circulation is down more than 80% over the last few years, according to reports the newspaper files.

Still, NJ Advance Media president Steve Alessi claims that the future of journalism in New Jersey remains strong.

“Local journalism is alive and well in our communities – and the state of our business, albeit changing, is strong,” Alessi stated.  “NJ Advance Media will continue to invest in the journalism that supports our mission to strengthen and empower the communities we serve.”

The end of Saturday newspapers probably won’t affect the editorial page, which has seen its influence diminish in recent years anyway.  Last Saturday, the page ran editorials from the Washington Post and the South Florida Sun Sentinel rather than original New Jersey content.

Many Gannett newspapers ended their Saturday print edition in early 2022; the Press of Atlantic City ended home delivery entirely this year and now prints just three days a week.

Among the practical applications of their decision: early print deadlines now mean that breaking news that occurs late on a Thursday will not appear in the newspaper until Sunday.   It also creates challenges for government entities required to run paid legal notices in advance of Monday night meetings, since notices must frequently be run 48 hours in advance.

The Star-Ledger has been in business since 1832.