Print format is changing in the BND, beginning Monday
Over our 160 years in the local news business, the Belleville News-Democrat has evolved as technology and the needs of our customers changed.
The digital transformation in the past decade has triggered the most rapid, dramatic changes at our company. Now, as a digital media company, we serve readers and advertisers 24/7, with breaking news, video and watchdog articles available via phone, computer, tablet, social media and search throughout the day and the evening, and your daily newspaper delivered in the morning.
We are constantly updating and adapting the BND, while focusing on producing exclusive, local public service journalism available to readers the way they want it.
The BND’s next update is effective Monday, April 10, when we change the format of your daily print edition. We are reorganizing the newspaper by combining three sections into two larger sections most days Monday through Saturday.
Having two sections helps us align our costs to the reality of our business. The changes will streamline our print processes and address reader feedback regarding some sections in the current format. But the newspaper will still be packed with information of local interest each day.
Print will be a tighter product, but we are not changing our commitment to covering Southern Illinois, being a watchdog over public institutions and tax dollars and reporting the latest breaking news.
We have the largest news staff in Southern Illinois bringing you local content in any number of ways — on our website, via search engines or your favorite social media, and in the newspaper.
With all the digital transformation, our audience continues to grow. Last month, we had 1.3 million unique visitors and 8.1 million page views, plus tens of thousands of daily print readers.
We are committed to continuing our evolution and serving you with public service journalism.
As always, we thank you for visiting bnd.com and reading the BND.
Jay Tebbe is the president and publisher of the Belleville News-Democrat. Jeff Couch is vice president and executive editor.
This story was originally published April 9, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Print format is changing in the BND, beginning Monday."