By Peter Weinberger | pweinberger@claremont-courier.com

First and foremost, we want to wish all our readers happy holidays and offer a huge thank you for your continued support. Your generosity is a key factor in why we are able to report local news in print and online.

But we cannot ignore the fact that publishing the Claremont Courier’s award winning, fact-based journalism has become increasingly challenging for a variety of reasons, most of which are out of our control.

The good news is some of these issues are easily identifiable. For instance, Google and Facebook continue to post Courier stories on their platforms without compensation, and inflation has made nearly everything we do more costly. Indeed, almost all of our expenses are up, from printing, newsprint, salaries, utilities, postage, website maintenance, technology, rent, transportation, insurance … and the list goes on.

Our subscription rates — $78 per year ($73 for seniors) — remain low. The average yearly rate for weekly U.S. newspapers and/or websites is $146. This is the average, mind you, not the highest. Also, the Courier hasn’t raised its advertising rates in 10 years, even though we now reach far more people than we did in 2013. And let’s not forget access to our comprehensive website, which we continue to offer without a paywall.

So, as you might have guessed, we are going to be raising our prices. But even with these modest increases, the Courier’s rates will remain highly competitive. That’s what a decade of holding steady on ad rates will do for you. We haven’t yet determined the new rates, but they will go into effect January 1, 2024.

The Courier staff will be tightening their belts as well.

When we moved to our offices at 114 Olive St. in 2017, our entire staff worked in person, Monday to Friday. The pandemic changed how the world works, and we are no exception. We’ve found that in a post-pandemic world, we no longer need as much space as we once did. So, part of our cost-cutting will involve finding a smaller, more affordable space that makes sense for this new way of doing business.

One thing we will not do is cut our products or reduce content to boost profits, like so many others have.

The Courier is also looking for fresh avenues to grow our business. We’re developing new partnerships, creative advertising packages, and products, like the Courier’s incredibly popular new book of photography, “Timeless Claremont.”

We have plans.

We are proud of our 115-year legacy of award-winning community journalism. We take seriously our role as watchdog, just as we do our support of dozens of Claremont nonprofits and service organizations. We are here for our readers, whether they’re offering kudos or taking us to task. There remains much to report on in the multi-faceted City of Claremont, and with your help — which is especially needed during this holiday season — we will continue.

Thank you once again for your incredible support. Have a great 2024!

To subscribe, donate or purchase “Timeless Claremont,” go to claremont-courier.com/payments.

Some books available for pickup

We have a few copies of “Timeless Claremont” available at the Courier offices. Those who have paid and are waiting can pick up next week on a first-come, first-served basis from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 114 Olive St., Claremont, CA 91711. We are closed for the holidays from Friday, December 22 to Tuesday, January 2, 2024.