DP quietly raises its price

Somewhat odd timing but the Dominion Post quietly increased its single-issue newsstand price to 75 cents effective January 9, 2012.

Issues immediately preceding the change mentioned nothing about it - no surprise there.

The DP is hardly alone in facing difficult conditions given the economy at large and specifically the newspaper business but such a decision is typically the product of closed-loop thinking wherein the publisher attempts to improve the bottom line by making a move that will almost certainly decrease already-dwindling circulation.

What is the DP telling its advertisers, one wonders? I doubt their rates will be adjusted in proportion to any improvement in revenue while their potential impression rate (eyeballs) will decrease along with circulation. A nice Catch-22 for the entities on which the DP depends most for revenue!

A weekday edition of this newspaper is typically 22-25 pages exclusive of special inserts (read: ads), TV guides etc. It's fair to ask what improvements, expansions of coverage, etc. if any, will result from this increase, given that the DP is hopelessly addicted to reprints of AP articles that most readers already saw on the internet on the previous day. No doubt this AP recycling program will continue, including the maddening practice of printing a lame 'quirky' story ('150 year old tortoise has birthday party') on the lower front page with every single issue. If the price increase is due to an increase in AP subscription costs then that is another reason - beyond the AP's bias, shoddy journalism and stilted style - to consider reducing the AP content.

Like most papers, the DP is happy to pat itself on the back whenever it receives some award from its mutual-back-scratching peers but their PR machine shifts quickly and quietly into silent running when it increases its price by 50%.