Belleville News-Democrat to change print days, delivery method as digital transition evolves
The Belleville News-Democrat’s journey toward a more digitally focused, sustainable future takes its biggest step yet later this year.
We will transition to a 24/7 digital product with two days of high-quality print editions beginning Oct. 30.
The print editions will publish Wednesdays and Sundays and be delivered by mail, arriving on the same day as publication, in most cases, alongside your regular mail delivery. The Sunday newspaper will arrive on Saturday because of the U.S. Postal Service’s delivery schedule. Single copies also will be available at select retail locations.
The eEdition will continue to publish seven days a week at bnd.com and in our digital app. And we’ll continue to publish news digitally throughout the day, every day.
We’re also improving your digital experience. Over the next few months, we’re excited to launch a tablet program, new community calendar and portal for submissions, better eEdition navigation, a refreshed homepage that will provide unique experiences for our readers, and much more.
This is another key move for us in the digital transition of the news industry and a vital step toward the sustainability of the Belleville News-Democrat.
The Belleville News-Democrat’s roots run deep in this community. Established three years before the Civil War, we are one of the oldest businesses in the city of Belleville.
The BND has been serving Belleville and southwestern Illinois since January 1858, when the Rev. Williamson F. Boyakin published the first edition of the Belleville Weekly Democrat. Over the past 165 years, as times changed, the BND evolved to meet readers’ needs, but one thing that has remained steadfast through generations of journalists in our newsroom is a commitment to providing strong local news coverage.
We plan to continue that commitment for decades to come.
Increasingly, residents of southwestern Illinois get their news from their phones, tablets and computers.
As a result, we’ve become much more digitally focused. Readers of bnd.com and our eEdition often see our best work before our print readers. Since earlier this summer, our eEdition has included a section of stories that were published after our print deadline or are scheduled to run in print at a later date.
For the BND to continue to provide you with essential coverage of our region, we must transform our business to thrive in 2023 and beyond. Today’s announcement, part of that transformation, is about changing the way we deliver the news, but not the way we cover it.
Our award-winning journalists will continue to provide in-depth reporting, accountability coverage, breaking news, service journalism and stories that reflect life in the metro-east. And we’ve added two new members to the BND newsroom team to help with this coverage: Joshua Carter, a photojournalist and reporter, and Kelly Smits, our education and environment reporter.
Our coverage over the past few months is a good example of what you can expect on your digital apps, the website, in the eEdition and in your twice-weekly print edition as we move ahead. Here’s a sampling:
Teri Maddox’s account of a 77-year-old Belleville man with a disability who ended up on the streets because of breakdowns in the system, and her report about a businessman making millions off of video gambling while the state tries to revoke his license.
Lexi Cortes’ story about residents of a metro-east community who are getting sick, possibly from a failing sewer system, and her piece about why semitrucks park on interstate exit ramps, possibly playing a role in the fatal crash of a Greyhound bus.
A series of stories by Mike Koziatek, Kelly Smits, Meredith Howard and Joshua Carter to help readers prepare for the school year, including a store by store comparison of school supplies, a report on the region’s newest school leaders, how teacher shortages are affecting local districts and vaccination requirements in Illinois.
Mike Koziatek’s coverage of Belleville community topics such as security during night hours at downtown festivals and whether residents should be allowed to keep backyard chickens.
Carolyn P. Smith’s coverage of the battling factions in the village of Washington Park and her story about the importance of commemorating Juneteenth across all communities.
Stories that help people live their best lives, understand the news or get answers to common questions, like Meredith Howard’s articles about rules for driving in roadway roundabouts and a look ahead at fall weather predictions for our region and Ahmad Lathan’s answer to a reader’s question about all the pipes and construction along Greenmount Road.
Jennifer Green’s columns about what’s new in the local restaurant scene, giving readers a peek inside and a hint about what’s next, like her stories about the partnership between Belleville’s Longstory Coffee and Clara B’s restaurant and what’s up with the big remodeling projects at Chick-fil-A and Golden Corral.
In other words, we will continue providing coverage that serves the public, connects communities, makes a difference and answers your most important questions.
If you’re already a subscriber, thank you for supporting the work we do and investing in local journalism. (Be sure to activate your digital access at bnd.com/activate.).
If you aren’t a subscriber, please consider doing so to help the BND continue as southwestern Illinois’ strong, independent source of news and information that people need to fully participate in civic life.
In the coming days, subscribers will receive correspondence from our customer service team regarding next steps. That team can be reached at 1-800-559-6378 or customerservice@bnd.com.com.
Thanks again for reading and supporting the BND.
Jeffry Couch is editor and general manager of the BND. He has been the editor for over 19 years. You can contact him at jcouch@bnd.com.
