by Peter Weinberger

Important changes are happening at the Claremont Courier: we’re upgrading our software and switching vendors to better manage the delivery of your print edition through the U.S. Postal Service. Don’t worry, this won’t affect your subscription much, but it will make life a lot easier for our team as they handle a database of more than 3,400 print and online subscribers.

The new company we are partnering with is Community Journalism Protect. You may see their name when renewing a subscription online. They serve more than 100 newspapers just like the Courier.

We value your privacy. The Courier doesn’t store credit card information, but we do keep your name, address, phone number, and email on file. Rest assured, your data is safe — it’s never been hacked and will never be sold. Unlike big social media companies, we’re not in the business of profiting from your personal information.

Keeping your details up to date is important. It helps us send renewal reminders and ensures subscribers have easy access to premium content behind our soon to be implemented paywall.

In addition to your address for delivery, we also use your phone number and email to keep things humming, as they remain the best ways to provide speedy customer support. And of course your email address is essential for receiving our twice-weekly digital newsletter — our most popular service after the newspaper and website — which give readers brief updates on top stories that may have not yet appeared in our print edition.

How delivery works

Our biggest challenge? USPS delivery. Although we briefly tried doorstep delivery decades ago, we found that despite a few hiccups, USPS remains our best option. Even in 2025.

You might think delivering your Courier print edition is as simple as slapping on a label and dropping in the mail. If only it were that easy! Managing thousands of subscribers’ data requires specialized software that not only prints labels but also connects to post office computer systems.

To top it off, all this information must be entered into our website database to manage our paywall. Do any of these systems communicate with each other? Of course not.

Each Friday morning, we deliver the Courier to the La Verne post office. From there, carriers deliver it with the day’s mail to Claremont, most of Upland, and La Verne. USPS regulations require that the paper reaches you within 24 hours.

The good news is the Courier has really knowledgeable staff members like Dee Proffitt, who knows all the rules for USPS delivery. She and circulation manager and delivery driver Tom Smith make sure your paper reaches your location. Dee is also the person who answers the phone and email for subscriber customer service.

More on the paywall

Here’s one small request: when you renew your subscription, please include your email and log into our website to avoid missing out on premium stories.

Coming soon, each week, we will select about six stories for premium access — exclusive for subscribers. We resisted implementing a paywall for years because our loyal readers supported us through subscriptions. However, the post-pandemic decline in online subscriptions has made it necessary.

Don’t worry, logging in is the only extra step for subscribers. Premium stories may include:

• Police Blotter
• Letters to the editor
• City and school coverage
• In-depth profiles
• Investigative or special reporting

Meanwhile, community favorites like the calendar, obituaries, news briefs (Our Towns), business and real estate news, and most columns will have open access.

We’ll decide which stories go behind the paywall on a weekly basis. Our goal is to balance wide accessibility with financial sustainability.

Help us provide fact-based local news

Not a subscriber yet? You’ll soon encounter premium content. Why not subscribe for just $1.88 per week? Here’s what you get:

• 52 print editions
• 12 special editions
• Complete access to our website
• Around 20 stories per week, including photos and video
• A twice-weekly newsletter

All of our advertising is local, and our local news reporting focuses on what matters most —Claremont. It’s an incredible value that keeps you connected to the news that impacts where you live and work.

Our dedicated team works hard to bring you thoughtful, reliable, objective journalism, and we’re grateful for your continued support. Thank you for being part of the Courier family.